Backed by all male musicians the Cassettes, the Pipettes debut album We Are the Pipettes is an up-tempo blend of disco beats and strings. I had heard a few singles by the Pipettes several months ago that appear on their debut album, “You’re Kisses Are Wasted On Me” and “I Love You.” Both songs were fun and easy to sing along to, so I was curious what a full album would bring. While the Pipettes bring back the fun and rhythm of the sixties girl groups, they clearly lack the soul. Few would put Becki, Rose and Gwenno’s soul quotient up there with the Shangri-Las or Ronnie Spector. Ronnie oozed a sexy Harlem toughness, while the Pipettes have a sexy confidence born from the trail blazed by the Spice Girls ten years ago.
However, We Are the Pipettes has a lot going for it. The Cassettes make the Pipettes sound much more like a band than any of the classic girl groups, who were often studio created projects. The wonderfully contentious “One Night Stand” is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. These girls are clearly having fun and they don’t take themselves too seriously. Even when you don’t know what the heck the Pipettes are talking about on songs like “Pull Shapes,” the girls will have you humming.
The Pipettes are fun, intriguing and strange. Though not every track on We Are the Pipettes is a gem, the group has created an album that pays homage to the old Phil Spector girl group sound but has a 21st century sensibility. We Are the Pipettes isn’t a classic, but it just might make you smile for awhile.
