MIDNIGHT VULTURES, TAKE TWO

By: B

Don't buy the new Scissor Sisters debut album if you don't know how to dance. It will be wasted on you. The self-titled debut from this New York band is a funked-up, beat-heavy dance/disco album that aims directly for your hips.

The Scissor Sisters is made up of singers Jake Shears and Ana Matronic, guitarists Del Marquis and Derek G, keyboardist Baby Daddy and drummer Paddy Boom. They burst on the scene with their dance version of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" and are currently the hottest thing in the U.K. They are unique and brash, refusing to stick to a certain sound. This is B's shot at describing their sound: start with standard electronic disco, supplement it with guitars and a quick-paced piano, add sly, stylish words and you come out with the Scissor Sisters debut.

With Scissor Sisters, this burlesque, gender bender group sends a shout-out to glam rockers of the past. Elton John, The Beegees, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, George Michael; each song sounds like someone from the past. But if there were one comparison, it would be Beck from his disco album Midnight Vultures. Most critics have failed to mention this album as an influence, which leads B to conclude they haven't heard Vultures .

"Take Your Mama" is a great pop song, upbeat but never annoying. Singer Shears uses his falsetto register while the guitar and keyboard provide the spine with a catchy riff. There are more songs like this on the album, but there are so many sounds floating over the electronic beats it is difficult to find a dominant mood that carries the album.

"Comfortably Numb" sounds like Andy Gibb at his nut-squeezing highest, belting out lyrics over a garden variety electro beat. You know this beat; it backs up every track on every Club Mix album ever made. The mystic lyrics do set this song above other Club Mixers, but then again, they didn't pen the words. It's enough to put the Scissor Sisters on the charts and in the minds of listeners, but such beat-heavy sounds may get tiring.

"Return to Oz" is a slow, building ballad that closes the album. It is a pop-friendly acoustic number, but the lyrics are so melodramatic and cheesy it brings the entire album down. Some of the lyrics are, "Is this the return to Oz? The grass is dead, the gold is brown and the sky has claws/ There's a wind-up man walking round and round, What once was an Emerald City is now a crystal town." Is this a joke? This pretentious, dramatic turn ruins the cool, disaffected style built throughout the album. This may be destined for their version of "Hotel California," a pop track hailed by some for the ethereal lyrics but laughed at by others.

The best parts of Scissor Sisters occur when the band eases up on the disco flavor. They are solid musicians with a knack for pop appeal and (usually) great songwriting skills, and their sound should result in an entertaining live show.

On the whole, this album is a contradiction. Half the time the Scissor Sisters seem to be ripping their favorite artists off with glee, polishing genres to add danceability to old classics. The other half, however, turns into the exact music they're making fun of: silly, melodramatic and contrived. The lyrics and after-bar mood make up for other lacking elements, resulting in a higher pop appeal than critical. Scissor Sisters is a decent debut, hitting high notes but at times wallowing in forgettable fluff.

Buy this album from Amazon

POP RATING: 7.5

CRITICAL RATING: 5

B'S RATING: 6.5

take me to the top | contact B | subscribe to newsletter