NIGHT WORK Showcases the Scissor Sisters at Their Steamy, Suggestive, and Sexy Best

Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters

I can remember it vividly: I was with Billy Beyond at The Park (Sean MacPherson and Eric Goode’s multi-level Chelsea venue).  It was a humid night in the spring of 2004, and we were sitting on a couch, upstairs, mingling with friends (including Miss Guy, Michael Schmidt, Jimmy James, and Michael Economy), doing a bit of Sofa Dancing, when this song came on that I had never heard.  “This is kinda fabulous.”  I remarked.  “Scissor Sisters.  They’re new.  HUGE in England, but they’re from here.  Only available on import…” Billy informed me.  “I’m sure  Sammy Jo will play two or three of their songs.  You’ll like them.”  From Billy, this was a rave review.  The song was “Tits on the Radio” and, as predicted, Sammy Jo proceeded to play another of their songs, the Sisters’ cover version of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” (which completely blew my mind).  I was so taken by the music that I went to Tower Records the next day to buy the CD, but they were completely sold-out (of an import!).  So, I had to wait until I returned to Vegas, the following week, and bought it then.

Scissor Sisters circa 2005

Scissor Sisters’ eponymous debut album was a revelation.  It was so good, in fact, that it boggles the imagination how they could possibly “best” themselves with any subsequent release.  Certainly, every artist tries to grow with each successive body of work.  Scissor Sisters released an album that was arguably one of the ten best debut albums of the decade, a critical and commercial success.  They toured relentlessly and from this spawned an almost cult-like following of fans and included bringing down the house at Deitch Projects to celebrate the opening night of Art Basel Miami in December ‘04, then at the Pacific Design Center for the 13th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar After-Party Co-Hosted by Chopard in February ’05.  How the hell do you top that?

Scissor Sisters strike poses

Of its own merits, I found Ta-dah! (the band’s sophomore release) to be a great album.  The writing was strong, the music was enchanting, and the delivery was fantastic.  It is only when held-up to Scissor Sisters graded “on a curve” that even the most strident critic might give the album a B-.  It’s a darker body of work, contains a spooky recording of Judy Garland speaking about love (at the end of “The Other Side”) and gives emcee Ana Matronic a chance to really cut-loose with the anthemic break-up jam “Kiss You Off” (Werk, Mama!  Werk!)

Babydaddy, Ana Matronic, Jake Shears and Del Marquis

So, when I heard about a third album, I got all tingly.  And you know what?  I’m really happy.  Why?  Because Night Work is good: It’s really good.  Good, in a way that will both please the critics and sell records.    Once again drawing their inspiration from a wide array of musical styles and acts, they are at once inspired and inspiring.  The ‘80s is the most prominent era casting its net over the music, here – and it works fabulously: whether a twinge of Depeche Mode, a whisper of Kraftwerk, or a sprinkle of Olivia Newton-John.  “Invisible Light” is the musical lovechild of Pet Shop Boys and U2 as produced by Yello (with a cameo by Sir Ian McKellan doing a spooky voiceover, à la Vincent Price in “Thriller”).  “Skin Tight” brings to mind the theme-song to Falcon Studios’ gay-porn classic Spring Break if Bronski Beat had done the music with The Cars’ Ric Ocasek on lead vocals and Kelly Clarkson on harmonies.  “Sex and Violence” has the marks of Duran Duran all over it; “Skin This Cat” is really pressed-up into Yaz; while “Nightlife” is rather like what you’d get if Grace Jones sat in on a session with the Eurythmics.  Then there's the album’s first single, “Fire with Fire” which, a bit more vanilla than a “typical” Sisters song, would have been quite at home on the soundtrack to virtually any John Hughes movie.

Jake Shears and Ana Matronic

Meanwhile, “Any Which Way” starts-out with a klaxon, followed by Jake Shears imploring listeners to “get your sh*t together," and has Ana Matronic doing her very best Amanda Lear by way of Siouxsie Sioux, with the following lines: “You know Baby, when I was taking my pantyhose out of their Egg, this evening, I thought “I’m gonna find that man, who’s the right shade of bottle-tan; a man that smells like cocoa butter and cash.  Take me any way you like it – in front of the fireplace, in front of your yacht, in front of my parents.  I don’t give a damn, Baby; just take me!”

Scissor Sisters - Night Work

Lead singer Shears is at his best from start to finish, proving definitively that there’s more to his range than just a bouncing falsetto; Del Marquis plucks, strums and manipulates his guitar with a confident grace; Babydaddy’s keyboards are eclipsed only by his skills as a song-writer and producer; and Miss Matronic is ten pounds of purring sass clawing her way out of a five pound sack.  With Night Work, Scissor Sisters have successfully recorded an album that will have fans new and old, dancing, frolicking, and lip-syncing in their (now fogged-up) mirrors.  Life is now just a little bit dirtier – but in a really good way.

Scissor Sisters – Night Work
Available June 29th at i-Tunes and Amazon.com

Get into it!