The ostentatious New York pop group return with their third album of 70s and 80s inspired glam disco music. It's insubstantial, frivolous fun, but a lot of it.
When Scissor Sisters announced they would release this, their third album, they also revealed that recording it was almost the death of them, and that they scrapped an entire album's worth of music in order to start again from scratch. It's difficult to understand what happened, since Night Work shows no great deviation from their previous material.
For the most part Night Work is made up of passable dance pop tunes, but there are a couple that really hit the mark. The Bee Gees style 'Any Which Way' jams with a funky bassline, disco strings and high pitched vocals, while the rockier 'Harder You Get' draws you in with its simple electric guitar hook and awesome blended harmonies. Yes, it's pretty much all about sex, but it's so deliberately silly, so shamelessly flamboyant, so outrageously camp, it's impossible not to crack a smile.
In the past, the Scissor Sisters have verged on so catchy it's actually annoying, but with Night Work they only occasionally slip into their irritating mode. Yes, 'Skin This Cat' is one of the most repetitive things you'll hear for quite some time, but for the most part, these are simple, quality pop songs. Sadly, lead single 'Fire With Fire' doesn't quite keep up with the pace, stalling with a piano & vocal intro before launching into a one dimensional dance ballad, lacking much by way of dynamic range.
Yes, you know exactly what you're paying for with the Scissor Sisters, but for what it is - entertaining music to get you dancing - it's pretty darn good.
