At a time when pop culture phenomena like Paris Hilton and Hulk Hogan's daughter are relentlessly promoting their debut albums, the idea of the remake doesn't sound all that bad.
Take Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt," for instance. That was a good remake. Madonna's cover of "American Pie?" Bad remake. Though many artists have failed in their attempts to modernize classic tracks, when one gets it right, the cover can be just as good as the original. In 2004, the Scissor Sisters did just that with their first single - a take on Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb."
Their self-titled debut proved that they could do more than just modernize a song: they could breathe life into a dead genre. But if Scissor Sisters had audiences hungry for more, Ta-Dah!, their second full-length, may be more glitter than they bargained for.
Opener and first single, "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'," begins with a deceptively folksy guitar riff, only to break into one of the band's signature synth beats after some 20 seconds. For the next four minutes and 49 seconds, you'll dance, and when they're up, you'll want to turn off your speakers and take a nap. Scissor Sisters pull off the whole disco remix thing flawlessly, and for one or two songs it's fun. An entire album of the same is a different story.
There are, fortunately, a few exceptions that avoid the typical falsetto vocals and Elton John-inspired sound. On "Other Side," we hear a completely different sound from flashy lead singer Jake Shears. This and the following track, "Might Tell You Tonight," highlight a side of his talent he rarely shows off. "Land of a Thousand Words" effectively weds the bombastic Scissor Sisters of old with the new, pared-down sound.
Though Scissor Sisters have found their niche as a sort of over-the-top, throwback group, they should consider further exploring the newer sound of "The Other Side" and "Might Tell You Tonight." But after ousting Justin Timberlake's "Sexyback" from the number one position on the U.K. singles chart, it's doubtful that the band will feel compelled to give up their vampy style any time soon. Just be glad that only the first 35 minutes of Ta-Dah! will make you dance - then you can relax.
