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spotlight! cutting loose on the disco-dance floor
By Cassie Hood
hoodc@mscd.edu

Scissor Sisters Ta-Dah (Universal Records, 2006)

In the game of rock, paper, scissors, rock’s weakness is to be smothered by paper. Paper can’t protect itself from the sharp edge of scissors, and rock destroys scissors with its crushing blow. It’s a battle of luck.

Luck has nothing to do with the Scissor Sisters’ crushing defeat of the rock world. The group’s 2004 self-titled debut was full of boasts about taking your mama out, being filthy gorgeous and returning to Oz. Their electronic glam rock quickly crawled into people’s brains and refused to leave.

Their sophomore release, Ta-Dah, continues to offer the explosive, in-your-face sound the previous album provided. It also shows a calmer and more mature side to the otherwise eccentric, over-the-top band. Jason “Jake Shears” Sellards still contorts his voice into piercing falsettos, and Ana “Ana Matronic” Lynch uses her sultry, seductive vocals to take the still-electrifying album to a more soulful level than the first.

On “The Other Side,” cheerful synth-pop music plays while Sellards mournfully tells how it’s his time to die. He expresses his sorrow but assures that he will be OK and will wait on the other side. The macabre, somber lyrics mix nicely with the tender piano and joyless saxophone. At the song’s end the doleful sound is complemented by dialogue from Judy Garland, saying that she’ll find her way over the rainbow and that she has the right to be loved.

“I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” creates delusions of a’70s late-night disco club. Vintage keyboards and toy-laser gun noises evoke images of platform shoes peeking out from under bell-bottoms. Elton John makes a guest appearance, lending his unforgettable, genius piano playing to the track. His accompaniment fuses perfectly with Sellards’ distinct vocals.

The oddity on the album is “Intermission,” with a swinging ragtime piano played by John. Much like “The Other Side,” the lyrics are morbid in context, but Sellards’ gleeful delivery makes it sound like he is skipping down the street. “Tomorrow’s not what it used to be / we were born to die / happy yesterday to all / we were born to die,” he sings, without a care in the world. The extreme dichotomy between the lighthearted tone and forlorn words makes the song stand out.

Ta-Dah doesn’t have a single disappointing song. With a more civilized sound than the Scissor Sisters’ first release, Ta-Dah has taken Europe by storm and undoubtedly will do the same in America. Remember: Don’t run with scissors, dance with them.