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Avg: 3.5 (16 ratings)
- Date Released: August 14, 2006
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: Pop
- Label: Memphis Industries / V2 Records
Think Heavenly meets the Ronettes
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We Say...
If there's one thing indiepop has enough of, it's levels of remove. Self-awareness has become the weapon of choice for everyone from Destroyer to the Hold Steady and what was once a clever meta-trick is now starting to seem a little frayed around the edged. So it's a bad sign when, one minute into their debut, this British trio is harmonizing the lyric: "We are the Pipettes/ we will drop you in our net". But survive this bout of preciousness, and what remains is sweet and summery, pop.
The Pipettes are, in essence, a genre study. They deliberately evoke the sound of The Ronettes and the The Chiffons (in concert they dress in matching outfits and flaunt co-ordinated dance moves), but their approach is decidedly indiepop. It's as if Heavenly decided to only cover Detroit girl groups. But high concept be damned, The Pipettes pull off the playacting with bucketfuls of charm and harmony. "Dirty Mind" (which bears no resemblance to the Prince song of the same name) is brisk and bubbly, full of hand-claps and finger-snaps and "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me", with its booming bass drum and shout-along chorus, is like a re-write of the "Monster Mash". They may be hyper-aware of the era they're aping, but it's hard to fault their brilliant execution. -
They Say...
Just when you thought they didn't make 'em like that anymore, Brighton's Pipettes emerge with this debut album to prove you wrong. With hooks and looks borrowed from the golden era of Phil Spector, the Pipettes, it seems, are on an admirable mission to re-establish the concept of the girl group, and there are, undoubtedly, some true gems on We Are the Pipettes: the 2006 mid-summer single "Pull Shapes" being one. With its stop-start rhythms, sparkling near-disco strings, and a lyric celebrating the bliss of dancing your cares away ("I just wanna move/I don't care what the song's about"), it gives the listener a pretty good picture of what this record is all about. "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me" and "Dirty Mind" are also very well-executed, upbeat girl group pop songs. But the era of girl groups, of course, was just as notorious for its highly melodramatic ballads. On "A Winter's Sky," the Pipettes come close to perfecting this art as well. It stands out from the majority of the songs by being seemingly irony-free and sincere, rather downtempo, and filled with the sweet vocal harmonies bound to melt even the iciest of hearts. Not all the tracks are equally great, of course. The theme song "We Are the Pipettes" is just plain silly, and not in a good way. Although the album does drop a little in quality towards the end, there's not much filler on We Are the Pipettes; considering that this is a 14-song debut album, that's no small feat. One objection does, however, spring to mind -- why on earth did they not include "School Uniform"? -- arguably one of the most absurdly catchy and fun pop singles of the last few years. With their strictly classicist approach, the Pipettes have managed to bring the girl group concept into a new millennium. Inevitably, though, they have brought something of their own time period and personal outlook to the formula. Firstly, all-male backing musicians the Cassettes make them sound much more like a band than any of the classic girl groups, who were more often than not very studio-bound projects. Secondly, and for the better, their lyrics are in no way inextricably bound to clichéd boy/girl love themes. At times they subtly attempt social commentary, for example on the fine single "Judy," but more often they're humorously reversing the stereotypical boy/girl roles. If not particularly important, We Are the Pipettes is both witty and filled with ear-catching melodies. Recommended listening for any lover of classic, celebratory pop. [The CD was also released with two bonus tracks.]
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| 01. |  |
We Are The Pipettes |
2:48 |
|
| 02. | |
Pull Shapes |
2:58 |
|
| 03. | |
Why Did You Stay? |
1:43 |
|
| 04. | |
Dirty Mind |
2:43 |
|
| 05. | |
It Hurts To See You Dance So Well |
1:53 |
|
| 06. | |
Judy |
2:48 |
|
| 07. | |
A Winters Sky |
3:02 |
|
| 08. | |
Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me |
2:11 |
|
| 09. | |
Tell Me What |
2:32 |
|
| 10. | |
Because It's Not Love (But It's Still A Feeling) |
2:37 |
|
| 11. | |
Sex |
2:38 |
|
| 12. | |
One Night Stand |
1:40 |
|
| 13. | |
Abc |
2:07 |
|
| 14. | |
I Love You |
1:37 |
|
| 15. | |
Really That Bad |
2:04 |
|
15 Total Tracks, 35:21 Total Length
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