I first heard the Scissor Sisters in 2003 when I listened to an electropop rendition of “Comfortably Numb,” and have been listening to it ever since.
Its fourth studio album release “Magic Hour” brings the same bass-heavy pop sound that I first fell in love with.
The new single “Only the Horses” is sure to be the ultimate dance song of the summer. The song displays relentless house beats with lyrics about getting lost in love. “Only the horses / Can find us tonight / Only the horses / Can bring us back home,” are lyrics that can make the listener get lost in the music.
“Shady Love” is a rave anthem that features Azealia Banks as “Krystal Pepsy.” This song is all about sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. With lyrics such as “Give me a bump and I’ll hop out the whip / Girl what you drinking, boy give me a sip / I’mma get looser than you do / And then do my voodoo, then chill in the boot with your (meow),” makes it clear that this is about a night of hard partying.
“Let’s Have A Kiki” is a hilarious song about having a bad night out, and moving the party to a house. The song starts out as a voicemail, where a woman documents having to take the train in the rain to a party that has been shut down by the police, and she wants to have a “Kiki.” This song brings some humor into the mix. “Lock the doors, lower the blinds / Fire up the smoke machine and put on your heels / Cause I know exactly what we need,” means there will be a stress-relieving party.
I really liked “Year of Living Dangerously,” which slows the tempo down. Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, real name Jason Sellards, sings about finding himself after a breakup. “This is my life, this is my dream / This is my belief, it’s my fantasy / I still haven’t found what’s gonna set me free / This is my year of living dangerously,” lets the listener know that he is feeling his freedom.
“Inevitable” has a lounge feel to it, and is about reuniting with a lost love. “This is inevitable / As long as we still breathe / This is inevitable / Time may move the sea,” over a slow melodic beat is a nice change of pace for the album.
I really loved “Magic Hour” because of its mix of synth-pop bass-heavy dance anthems and slower melodic tunes, which made for a great balance. I would recommend this album to anyone who enjoys catchy dance music.
Grade: A
