Search - Scissor Sisters :: Scissor Sisters

Scissor Sisters Cut Up The Scene With Their Awesome Debut

Busy Body | London, England | 08/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of 2004's greatest success stories, especially in Britain, is the rise and rise of New York camp-glam band the Scissor Sisters. With their flamboyant style and traditional gay disco-flare, they have dominated the charts with their self-titled debut album which has been No.1 for weeks and has gone multi-platinum in months. This is mainly due to the singles released from the album and their unique style, along with a lot of hype from some of the top critics. The band comprises of five members, all about except two are gay and living life and loving it, which this debut album definitely shows!



The members are Paddy Boom, Babydaddy, Ana Matronic, Del Marquis and the excellent lead singer Jake Shears. Ana Matronic is the only female in the band and believes she is half-gay because her dad was, or something like that! I'm not sure what she's talking about, because she's a bit crazy like the rest of the band - but this is exactly what makes them so brilliant! I didn't initially like the Scissor Sisters, and I went through a phase of disliking them a lot, and then I heard their third single and instantly loved them!



The album opens with that third single which is "Laura." I first heard this song on a music channel and the video blew me away. It was new and exciting and original, and I loved it. The song has a dramatic piano intro and some awesome lyrics. Jake's vocals are very dramatic and work well with the song. This is the most popular song from the album to date and is one of 2004's best songs! "Take Your Mama" was the second single to be taken from the album. It's a mid-tempo number and a bit more chilled than the last song and has a catchy guitar all the way through. The vocals are high-pitched all the way through the song, especially in the verses. The video is incredibly gay and compliments the song's topic of taking your mama out all night, and getting her drunk on some cheap champagne! "Comfortably Numb" was the first single to be released from the album in late 2003 and instantly became a Top 10 UK smash hit. It's a cover of the Pink Floyd classic, but the dance beat is brilliant - it's both catchy, spooky and ambiguous.



"Mary" is up next and in my opinion should be the fourth single, because it really is a beautiful and breathtaking ballad. It has an old, traditional style to it with a sad piano. Jake's vocals are reduced from a high-pitched wail to a melancholy tone that is surprising to say the least. The sigh after each chorus is the highlight. "Lovers In The Backseat" has perhaps the best intro of all the songs on the album because it's so weird. You can't really describe it, but it's bouncy and shiny and just gets the song into swing. Jake's vocals are great and very dramatic and the lyrics are really sexy. "T**s On The Radio" was one of my favourites when I first bought this album, but it isn't so much anymore. It's still a great song, however, with an awesome chorus that just swings along. Ana Matronic has a big part in this song, too. "Filthy/Gorgeous" opens with a wicked computerised voice (I think it's Ana's) that just screams, "Oh yes! Filthy!...Gorgeous!" This is an up-tempo electronica song which has Jake's high-pitched vocals and a rocky chorus which echoes the song's title over and over in the background. "Music Is The Victim" is an average song, but it's not really one of my favourites on the album. It's a bit too rocky for my liking and doesn't really stand out amongst the other songs. However, it's still a good song with a catchy beat.



"Better Luck" picks up the album's pace and is similar to Laura, the album's first song, with its beat. The lyrics are funny and the song has a generally light-hearted humour that is typical of the band. "It Can't Come Quickly Enough" is without a doubt the best song on the album. This song was seen by the critics as the album's masterpiece, and it certainly is - it's an epic ride of superb melancholy sadness. It kind of reminds me of a Queen song but it has a rather catchy electronic beat that's muffled in the background. The lyrics are brilliant and the chorus is superb - very catchy yet sad with it at the same time. "Return To Oz" is an extremely sad song with some beautiful lyrics and really shocked me when I first heard it because it's so sad. It shocked me because one minute the Scissor Sisters are singing about merrily taking their mama out, or about lovers in a backseat, and then the next they can bring down your happiness and totally make you think and feel.



OVERALL GRADE: 9/10



After this song, there's a funny track in which Ana Matronic says, "Meow. This is Ana Matronic..." and tells us that there's special UK bonus tracks coming up and will start when we hear a certain sound - it's some people screaming in carnage and mayhem! The two songs that follow are "The Skins" and "Get It Get It." Both songs are good, but not quite up to the standard of the rest of the album - so you can see why they were bonus tracks! All in all, this is a very superb and vivid debut from one of 2004's most interesting and exciting bands. I urge anyone to check them out because they're going places and it'll be interesting to see what their second album holds in store for us!"

Its SO good to be a FREAK!!!

flamingyoshimi | Montreal, CANADA | 04/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"what a very pleasant suprise, when i first heard of Scissor Sisters, i thought they were only one of those temporary hyped bands everyone's talking about, not for the music, but ... simply for the hype.. i was wrong.these guys are freaks, and they're awesome. in fact, their music is so versatile, with so many diferent sources, i dont know in what category i would put this album, when i first listened to their self titled debut, i immediatly knew this was unlike anything i heard, totally diferent from any other band, they're messing with us actually, going from one genre to another, sometimes with a serious tone and lyrics, and others with cheesy and funny lyrics "'Koz there is no [such] on the radio/i'll give you half a finger for a one man show...". You get beautiful piano ballads (take your mama out), a very suprising "bee gees" sound , guitar riffs, dance music, and a lot of pseudo genres, all in one beautifully packed album. Their Pink floyd cover "comfortably numb" is simply exquisite, it had me jump out of my seat, i just wanted to dance!!!this album gets 5 (very well deserved) stars, for originality, and -whether you like it or not- for their "avant garde" accomplishment."

Great new music for those tired of listening to the radio

C. Adomaitis | Detroit, MI USA | 08/27/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Now, I'll admit that my taste in music can be a bit eclectic. Not that I'm anti-pop, mind you, but I do like folks to know where the bias of the reviewer lies.



Picked these songs up via Napster, and have loved them. Fun songs, with memorable lyrics and licks. Very refreshing for those of us who are always looking for something new. Not 5/5, as very few albums are "perfect". But, a very solid 4/5.



The music really grooves. Kinda throwback to the 70's glam era, but definately with a modern edge. A good mix of beats (some slow and some fast), and you can tell the band has lots of different leads on vocals--many different styles.



Pick up an account on Napster and listen to them for a little bit before picking up the album. If you look for the mix of music I do, you'll like this."