Scissor Sisters - 'Magic Hour'

Pros And Cons Of The Continued Existence Of The Scissor Sisters

PROS

—Jake Shears has made a career out of impersonating Elton John. And given that Elton John refuses to do anything these days except lie on a throne made of orphans' bones, eating truffles and getting handjobs from David Furnish, Shears is probably an acceptable substitute.

—Despite having been around for years, The Scissor Sisters remain the only international pop act to be named after a lesbian sex practice, unless someone has coined a new meaning for the term One Direction and not told us. For instance: "One Direction (v.): to indicate readiness for penetration by rapid flaring contractions of the sphincter."

—They have reportedly "focused on having fun" with this one. As opposed to all the previous records, which were earnest considerations of the failings of the Weimar Republic.

—But you can see what Shears means. There's a certain "fuck it" sensibility to Magic Hour; it's the sound of a band who's already drunk in the last-chance saloon on 2010's commercial crash-n-burn Night Work, and, having drunk their last drink there and failed to jumpstart their career, have instead decided to do a little bit of everything that appeals to them. With predictable paradox, this has actually won them their mojo back.  

CONS

—Magic Hour was also the title of Cast's 1999 post-fame record. This is, unfortunately, bringing back a lot of late-Britpop memories we'd much rather have lasered from our brains.

—From the post-"Firework" lungbuster power ballad of "Somewhere," to the bosh-pop Rihanna-ism of "Only The Horses," they don't shy away from garish, shameless latter-day chart bluster. Still, given the choice, you'd rather have someone who has covered Pink Floyd doing this sort of thing than a dead-eyed MasterCard billboard like Ri-Ri.

—The Boys Noize-produced "Shady Love" makes us feel even more ambiguous about Azealia Banks than we already did.

—Someone seems to have mistakenly told them that electroclash is back for summer: see the arch Gigolo stylings of "Let's Have A Kiki," while "Keep Your Shoes On" finds the unrequested missing link between Rippin Kittin and Kelis' last record.

VERDICT

A sprawling, incoherent vomit of pop that coasts through its fuck-ups on good times enthusiasm, like a favorite drunken aunt who can piss herself at your wedding and still be forgiven.