You go, girls

Ta-Dah

* Scissor Sisters * Umvd

Flashy title aside, the sophomore pop-rock outing from Scissor Sisters parses out the razzle-dazzle judiciously; the uber-catchy choruses and Jake Shears's stratospheric singing are anchored by deceptively complex songs that sound ageless, not dated. Credit the quintet's attention to detail: Mouth harp and banjo offset the caustic lyrics of "I Can't Decide" ("If lies were cats / You'd be a litter") with Appalachian playfulness, while kooky keyboard arpeggios ripple through the funky "Ooh." And guitarist Del Marquis has blossomed into the band's secret weapon, embroidering these 10 succinct originals with spacey, phased effects and lightning-fast licks that recall classic Queen. There are electro-disco confections aplenty, including "I Don't Feel Like Dancin"--the best floor-filler ever about playing the wallflower, complete with Elton John on piano--but the standout track comes toward the end, with all histrionics set aside for the captivating mid-tempo love song "Might Tell You Tonight." A band that can craft something this sublime doesn't need to lean heavily on bells and whistles to connect--there's nothing here as shameless as their breakthrough cover of "Comfortably Numb"--and they wisely keep glitzy shtick to a minimum throughout the stellar Ta-Dah.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Liberation Publications, Inc.
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