Scissor Sisters ignited gay parties and dance clubs in 2004 with their debut album, Scissor Sisters, an eclectic collection of campy, retro-inspired dance pop that drew on inspirations like Wham!, Pink Floyd, the Bee Gees, and Elton John. Globally, it was a phenomenal success, becoming the best-selling album of year in the UK. Given such unexpected success, the five-piece group--fronted by flamboyant Jake Shears and self-proclaimed gay-man-in-a-woman’s-body Ana Matronic—faced the daunting task of creating a follow-up.
Ta-Dah then smartly sticks to the smart wink-and-a-slap formula established by its predecessor. But see how that exclamation point is missing? Subtle yes, but indicative of the darker side of the album, which mostly shines through its mysterious, voluminous lyrics. The exterior may be all dances and smiles, but look deeper and there’s pain, anger, and hurt bubbling beneath the surface. And while the some of the same camp influences show up here—Elton John co-wrote and plays piano on “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’”—more serious influences such as the devastation of New Orleans and literary references to Walt Whitman and Michael Cunningham are present too.
“I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” has to be the most danceable, upbeat, and energetic ode to feeling blue and not wanting to dance imaginable. The fun, frothy track opens the album brilliantly, picking up the party from where Scissor Sisters left off, but interjecting a subtle not of melancholy, one that weaves itself throughout the album lyrically, if not musically.
“She’s My Man,” is similarly electric, but listen closely and you’ll hear the darker tale it tells about New Orleans and some mythic crazy woman who chokes people on her riverboat. Lyrically, the Scissor Sisters approach Alanis Morissette territory with some of these songs, which are stuffed full of words describing who knows what counter-cultural reference they managed to dig up. The tune takes a page from Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing.”
Like the first two songs, third track cloaks a darker tale in an upbeat production. “I Can’t Dance” is a jaunty, silly melody, complete with banjo, but the lyrics tell of a depressed and jilted lover mulling the fate of the one who wronged him, “I can’t decide whether you should live or die.” Randomly, Gina Gershon shows up here playing the harp. “Lights,” despite being a fairly upbeat, mid-tempo number, is actually inspired by the last words of Shears’s dying aunt, “when you cut the lights out, think of me.”
Ana Matronic takes a welcome turn at the lead mic with “Kiss You Off,” a track she co-wrote with Shears and Babydaddy, the band’s two principal songwriters. It’s energetic, electro-tinged, and another highlight in an album that has few off-key moments. The only track I don’t care much for is “Intermission,” the other Elton John collaboration, which is a strange bit of cabaret. No drums here, just piano, vocals, and an odd assortment of other instruments.
Mid-tempo “The Other Side” is another highlight. The song was inspired by Michael Cunningham’s latest novel, Specimen Days, and includes some Judy Garland dialogue. It’s awash in synths, but has a good electric guitar bridge.
“Ooh” struts in like a pep talk among the depression and features some Dracula-esque organ/keyboarding during its middle section. “Paul McCartney” is an odd one. This sounds very ‘80s to me, makes no reference (at least none that I can detect) to either Paul or the Beatles, yet supposedly is inspired by Sir. McCartney. There’s no denying Scissor Sisters is a strange band, and its songs like this that remind you that despite the seriousness on display here, they still can do something just for the hell of it.
Slower tracks are good too. “Land of a Thousand Words” takes a break from the dance floor, slipping in melodic piano chords and strings, similar, yet grander that last album’s “Mary.” “Might Tell You Tonight” finds someone on brink of declaring their love and intention to settle down, something you’d never imagine the Scissor Sisters would ponder, but yet here it is.
The album almost can’t help but not live it to its hype—how do you top a best-selling album? But it certainly comes close, delivering a smart collection that improves listen after listen and offers no duds. Now if only their homeland would wake up and embrace them too.
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