Scissor Sisters has a history of putting out the wildest club records of this time. Often connected to David Bowie, Blondie, and Mika, this band excels in making music appealing to the LGBT community (there's debate of whether or not they are a full-on "gay band"), especially appealing to the gay club scene. Scissor Sisters is one band that everyone has danced to if they have been to a dance club, except for the hiphop clubs, but that's even doubtful.
Night Work is a name fitting for Scissor Sisters' latest because it is a dirtier album than what lies in their repertoire. Don't worry, it is still fun, but is enjoyed lyrically for more mature audience. After "Fire with Fire" this album takes a sharp turn into Provocativeville!Sidenote: speaking of provocative, the person on this album cover is indeed a man rocking some skin-tight bottoms. No word on who it is, like it matters, but it definitely delivers a warning sign for those who are not fans of men in tight clothing. And if you are, you may not want to finish reading this review. Just throwing that out there!
The beats still remain fresh, pop-ish, and the most glamorous of rock music with help from Stuart Price and Santigold. Night Work maintains the band's sound of reminiscent 80s pop rock, but fail to fall out of the category of Most Likely to Sound Too Pop, as a couple tracks sound totally unoriginal. In fact, "Harder You Get" is the weakest track on the album. It's an definite bite of a sleazy '03 pop record (which no one ever wants to relive, ever), but slowed down, dragged out and ultimately annoying. Another bitten track was the ending song "Invisible Light." The monologue sounded entirely too much like Michael Jackson's "Thriller," and unless it's a tribute to the King of Pop then this song should've been thrown out along with the other tracks from their scrapped 2008 album. One thing's for sure, there's no repetitiveness in this album at all. From beginning to end, there's always a totally different beat to dance to.
The lyrics of Night Work are the most bold and sleazy lyrics of 2010. Yet, it is the most devilishly fun to sing! Think about it: the sound is 80s pop rock, almost electro-disco, why not throw in vulgar lyrics to match? "Any Which Way" is a prime example, with its monologue coming straight out the 80s "I don't care who you are or where we are, whatever, just do me" attitude. Plus, which is a bold AND clever move from the band, vocals are provided by both Jake Shears and Ana Matronic, smacking the current state of sexual lyricism in the face (since overtly sexual lyrics are solely sung by women). Another example is the beginning is the beginning of "Harder You Get," where the first verse includes the line "... I got some apples, if you want them you can grab them." Woo buddy! The titles of the songs in this album say enough - "Skin This Cat," "Any Which Way," "Harder You Get," should I go on?
Overall, Night Work is a hyper-sexualized party album exclusively for mature ears that want to party. Scissor Sisters manages to get you dancing, with catchy and glamorized hip-wavers, even to the most vulgar of lyrics. Their weakness lies in biting and not enough personalizing of a few tracks, but ultimately this album wouldn't exist if not for the artists they bit. This album goes to show how a band can make music for absolutely any party scene of this decade without letting go too much of the past decades.
Star's Grade: B
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