Review: We Are the Pipettes / The Pipettes

With his wall-of-sound production, Phil Spector helped establish the classic "girl group" sound in the early sixties, writing and producing for groups like the Crystals and the Ronettes. The torch was carried through the early part of the decade by the Supremes, the Shirelles and the Chiffons, but died out soon after. The last decade has given us a slew of so-called "girl groups" - the Spice Girls, Destiny's Child, the girls from Making the Band 3 and the dreadful Pussycat Dolls, and while these groups may have men in suits behind them making the decisions, they lack(ed) the charm of their predecessors. If David Lynch movies tell us anything, it is that the sounds of the past have a way of showing us the darkness of our present. The Pipettes' debut, We Are the Pipettes, captures this Lynch-like quality of pop music, mixing the early sixties aesthetic with a punk rock/D.I.Y. attitude. The opening title track is a pretty clear indication that these girls owe more to Chicks on Speed than any modern day pop group. Like those classic hits, The Pipettes harmonize over tales of being in love and learning new dance moves, but they also bring new perspectives to the lyrical table, sounding more empowered than any girl group to come before.

The Pipettes pledge attitude over obedience - don't expect "He Hit Me and It Felt Like a Kiss" to come from their mouths, or "Cater 2 U" for that matter. While your classic girl group was most concerned with settling down with a guy would would treat her ok, and your modern day girl group is most concerned with dry humping a guy in the club who will treat her ok - the Pipettes are going to play the field a little bit (hear "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me" or "One Night Stand").

But limiting the Pipettes to subversive gender dynamics would be, well, limiting - to say the least. The girls don't abandon that wall-of-sound production, yet lyrically they catch you off-guard with their distinctly (post)modern attitude. On "ABC," they voice their frustration about a boyfriend who is too focused on his academics to notice her. "He cares about A-B-C/1-2-3/X-Y-Z," they sing - and when I first heard this, I assumed it was a forgotten gem from a bygone era. Yet, when they finished up the chorus with, "But he don't care about XTC," my brain and ears were thrown for a loop. "Sex" comes off like a sentimental love song, with their perfect harmonies singing, "Rest your pretty head/your pretty head." Listen closer and hear that the song is a guy explaining in detail to his girlfriend that she needs to shut up so they can have sex.

The best records are the ones that can defy your expectations, making you crave listening to them while continuously showing you something new each time. The Pipettes debut is timeless, complex and gorgeous. Sticking to an aesthetic, but not compromising their attitude, the Pipettes manage to pay homage to and subvert the girl group sound at the same time.

4.5 (out of 5)

::Video::
"Pull Shapes"


::Previously::
1 Holy Shit ... The Pipettes