Night Work (Scissor Sisters) - Album Review

Wading the pop waters can often be a daunting experience, riddled with mediocrity and long stretches of redundant boredom. For once, this is not the case. In easily one of the best releases of the last decade, possibly longer, the Scissor Sisters return with the stunningly brilliant Night Work.

With the third studio album by this pop quartet, the Sisters finally got it exactly right. Minus only the very slightest of missteps, unnoticeable and barely worth the mention, Night Work couldn't be better than it already is. Gone are the dull ballads, disconnected oddity, and plodding of previous works. It's as if this band simply sat down, decided to craft an album purely of pop genius, and did it.

That's the beauty of Night Work, it feels completely effortless. From the opening title track to the closing "Invisible Light," there is nothing even approaching a bad song. Even the two weakest cuts on the album ("Skin Tight" and "Sex and Violence") are pop gold. When Night Work hits its highest of high notes, it soars. The title track bounces around in trademark Scissor Sisters sinister humor while "Fire with Fire" redefines the equality anthem with restrained maturity and genuine soul.

Other tracks seem meant to joyously drive radio censors mad with free-spirited allusion over irresistible melodies, the funky "Whole New Way" best summing up the equation. "Running Out" was likely written after listening to a medley of tracks like Prince's "Delirious," but not Prince's "Delirious." The disco-funk "Any Which Way You Can" brings to mind Donna Summer's winking and nodding dirty dance hits while "Something Like This" melds 80's new wave into Kylie Minogue (who gets a shout-out in the album "thank you"s).

Possibly the greatest achievement of Night Work is the ability to somehow manufacture a focused and coherent album entirely of tracks that are oriented to be singles. There isn't a hint of redundancy to be found here, only perfect pop bliss. Night Work is a masterpiece.

GPA: 4.0

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