Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Let's dance


The Pipettes- We Are The Pipettes

Cute dresses. Bright harmonies. Handclaps and cries of “clap your hands if you want some more!” All these hark back to the glory days of the sunny doo-wop of the 60’s. But one night stands? XTC? Dirty minds? These girls aren’t your average girl group. With all the renaissances of every style of music, it’s about time doo-wop made it back, and it’s even better that it’s at the hands of three, feisty English chicks, who bring their innocently sophisticated accents to upbeat songs about naughty things. I could make comparisons (Spice Girls meets the Supremes? The B-52’s with ABBA strings? The Donnas star in Hairspray?), but that would undermine the energy these girls have. It’s not about girl power or feminism. Their musical calling is to the dance floor, and they won’t let anyone get in their way. They start off with their very own anthem, declaring that they are “the prettiest girls you’ve ever met” and that they can accomplish pretty much anything. They quickly move into “Pull Shapes,” a stop-time sing-along about just wanting to dance, and taking any "baby boy" with them. Sure they use their share of guys, but they’re no strangers to emotion. They’re in the middle of the ultimate female divide, toeing the line between being romantics and promiscuous. And really, that’s where most women are; having nights where they don’t want love but just want to catch a man’s eye, and then pining over a lost guy who looks so good with all the other girls.

But there is the inevitable question of whether these girls will last. I mean everyone’s gotta get a gimmick, but will this one still work on a second album? Sadly, I’m not sure. Though it’s contagiously danceable and fun, any more might fall into the category of “heard it all before.” And with their gimmick of matching clothes and retro sounds, they might fall the way of the Spice Girls and be known for putting out some fun dance songs but not making much of an influence. But while they last, it’s definitely going to be a party.

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