Music: The Pipettes - We Are The Pipettes

The Pipettes
We Are The Pipettes
[Pop]






This review is a bit late in coming, however I feel it is necessary to expose one of the biggest missed opportunities in 2006. You see, The Pipettes have put out some of the sweetest pop songs this year ("'Dirty Mind", "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me", "Pull Shapes"), yet this half-hour collection of post-trendy, 60s girl group-aping nostalgia trip fever features a stunning percentage 0f stunningly dull filler. I mean at least half the record's running time - now that's stunning.

In addition to the aforementioned singles. the genuinely funny "It Hurts To See You Dance So Well" ('Half-past one on the dancefloor / And my thoughts they turn to murder') and bully-baiting "Judy" are highly memorable moments among the new material. Sadly, however, the majority of We Are The Pipettes opts to coast along on a wave of mid-tempo mediocroty and features extreme repititions on a theme ("Tell Me What You Want", "Sex", "One Night Stand" - have you guessed it yet?) that quickly becomes dull after repeat listens. It is especially puzzling to listen to sequences of bouncy, proto-feminist, sugar-sweet indignations only to be reminded in a lonesome ballad such as "Winter's Sky" that, actually, men might be important after all.

That said, I have perhaps been overly harsh in my criticism of the entire output from what are, in essence, a harmless singles band who'll be fortunate to make it beyond a third album. Nevertheless, after seeing Brighton's premier vocal trio aiming (and reaching) so high with their early singles, it is disheartening to hear such an underwhelming full-length from The Pipettes. 63