Ladies and gentlemen, break out the sequins and adjust your disco balls, because the Scissor Sisters are back.
Exploding onto the UK charts two years ago with their self-titled debut full of catchy glam-pop, the Sisters found middling success here in the States, where the airwaves are dominated by rigidly masculine rock and hip-hop. This, of course, was exactly why they were such a welcome distraction from the generic, marginally talented acts showcased on TV and radio. Scissor Sisters was packed with intelligent, hilarious, dirty anthems that transcended the narrow, if slightly accurate, definition of "disco."
Which is why, at first, I was slightly disappointed with Ta-Dah, their second CD. The songs didn’t seem to pop the way they had on SS’ debut. On that album, the aural assault of opener “Laura” segued into the fizzy guitars of “Take Your Momma Out” which floated into the spacey falsettos of “Comfortably Numb.” On Ta-Dah, the contrasts might not always be as sharp, but repeated listening reveals lyrics that are at turns hilarious and haunting and musical influences ranging from barbershop quartets to cheesy rock musicals.
They embody a pan-sexual hedonistic decadence, with the rebellion, cynicism and darkness that are both part of and at odds with this lush sonic landscape. This may be why their wit is so often spiked with arsenic. "I Can't Decide" is a perky confession of murderous intentions that are only resisted because Jake Shears, the band's lead singer and co-writer, is convinced he'll be killed in retaliation if he fails. On "Intermission," Shears sounds like he should be doing soft-shoe with a hat and cane while blithely tossing off lines like "Happy yesterday to all/We were born to die."
Don't get me wrong - the Sisters still like to party. It's hard to deny the ecstatic power once Shears' voice soars halfway through the chorus of "Lights," and "Kiss You Off" may simply be one of the most fun songs ever about kicking out an inadequate lover. If you learn the brilliant lyrics to the rollicking chorus, you'll definitely win karaoke night.
The party theme continues behind the scenes as well, with Elton John co-writing and playing piano on two songs and none other than Miss Cristal Conners herself, Gina Gershon, playing harp on "I Can't Decide" (that was a very weird sentence to write).
But I also can't emphasize enough the intelligent, thoughtful craft behind their more introspective songs. Like how the rambling, meandering verse on "Might Tell You Tonight" recreates a giddy, nervous, stream-of-conscious confession of love. "The Other Side" is a prayer from one dying lover to another ("I'll count our blessings as I/wait for you, on the other side") and the pauses in the verse echo real-life silences in hospital rooms. (The CD cover should have tipped me off to the madcap darkness inside. It recalls imagery from both ends of '80s horror: the exalted classic The Shining [think of the elevator scene] and the cheesy, low-budget April Fool’s Day.)
I feel somewhat guilty enjoying the fruits of Shears’ misery, but when it produces such lyrics as “If lies were cats you’d be a litter,” how could I not? In fact, in only twelve songs amounting to forty-five minutes, the Scissor Sisters prove that they may be one of the best, most consistent bands at constructing perfect pop songs. It’s like sonic champagne with a bitter aftertaste.
Article comments
1 - SFC SKI
Bottom line, any CD you can listen to from first to last without skipping songs, and causes me to repeat without stopping is a good CD. Any song that makes me drop everything else to pick up my guitar and try to figure out is a great song, this album has great songs. I bought the first SS album on the strength of "Take Your Mama". I was amazed that something that sounded musically like Little Feat reformed was being played on the radio. The rest of the album was very different from the single, but I can't really say there was any filler on it. The same can be said for Ta-Dah! While I was afraid the sophomore jinx would hit this band, and on my first listen-thru I disliked a few songs, but refrained from fast-forwarding, they were intriguing at least. After several listenings, I can really say that their second effort is as good as their first, in a way it's almost like the two albums are part of a double disc set, but very different as well.
I guess that is part of the Scissor Sisters'attraction, you don't know what you'll get, but you'll get your money's worth. On this album, you can hear how much they've progressed, the production is great!
IN a world of cookie cutter pop sung by faceless copies of the last Big Thing, the Scissor Sisters really standout as an actual group of musicians that give the listener a good time.