Earth vs. the Pipettes

It's a formula that all parties involved-including producer Martin Rushent (The Human League, The Go-Go's)-know their way around, and thus anyone with an interest in unabashed pop filtered through a sparkling-clean indie-rock lens should have no problem getting swept up in the steady stream of instantly catchy choruses.

Together, Bobby and Rushent steer the Pipettes into charming territory, making up for the girls' gauzy voices with killer songwriting and period-appropriate production.

Most everything here is played too fast and mixed too loud, the live instrumentation doesn't swing, and the vocals often suggest karaoke Kylie Minogue. But the songwriting remains period-perfect and consistently well crafted.

There's talent and potential here to do so by the boatload. But if they continue down this path, holding onto the nostalgia lever on one hand and trying desperately to expand and shed it on the other, they run the risk of becoming something even worse than a handy Sugarbabes reference; in the Pipettes, our generation could have our very own Sha Na Na if they aren't careful.

The voices can't equal, say, Bananarama's depth of feeling. But in tracks like "Captain Rhythm"--which partly suggests "Da Doo Ron Ron" on Jupiter--the Pipettes still ride the dance beat like a rocket ship.

"From Today" and "I Need a Little Time" may have decent enough hooks and propulsive dance beats, but there's simply nothing about Earth vs. the Pipettes that's distinctive or in any way better than what other '80s revivalists have already done.

The man who made the 's 'Dare'--can't add enough bells and whistles to stop the tunes from sounding like they've been faxed over from one of Stock & Aitken's duller days at the office.

First single "Stop The Music" suggests they may yet escape this postmodern cul-dul-sac, but by the time they get to "I Vibe You," it feels like being trapped in a lift with The Saturdays. [Aug 2010, p.124]

Earth vs. the Pipettes sounds like not just a different group, not just a lesser group but, in sadly off-putting ways, almost an opposite group.

This isn't a case of a band branching into a new sound as much as becoming a new band altogether. And this one just doesn't make the cut.