t.A.T.u – ‘Dangerous And Moving’ (Universal) Released 10/10/05

 

In truth, there hasn’t been a pop record like this for a while. Our girls Julia Volkova and Lena Katrina surround themselves with controversy. They shoot someone in the head in their new video, you know. Ok, so the controversy is as manufactured and contrived as anything else in pop.  But how many other all-girl pop groups are even attempting to challenge you into caring who or what they really are? The only slightly tragic thing about t.A.T.u. is that despite their ‘we don’t care what you think we are’ attitude, if they hadn’t done that pseudo-lesbo video or that snog or whatever, they would have sunk without trace. Rumours of a management hush-up of Julia’s pregnancy had undertones of exploitation. 

 

This time round, titillation is not the only source of material, and in ‘Dangerous And Moving’ they have produced a pop record with style and, whisper it, a bit of substance.  All the tracks on this album are blatant attempts to recreate the insane catchiness of their 2003 smash hit ‘All The Things She Said’.  Single ‘All About Us’ (“If/They/Hurt/You/They/Hurt/Me/Too”, each word delivered like a bitch-slap in the face) and ‘Loves Me Not’ (“He loves me/He loves me not/She loves me/She loves me not” - see, they do like boys too, if you were still keeping score) are the ones that come closest while the rest of the album tells the same story of fearless love against adversity to a power pop backdrop that comes off not a million miles from New Order and Depeche Mode. Surging techno-pop rhythms, distorted, edgy guitars that make you realise The Edge has been blagging it all these years, and soaring strings (arranged by Richard Carpenter of The Carpenters fame, random fact fans). Unfortunately, the majority of the songs just aren’t as good. The writing efforts of Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart and bass from Sting can’t lift ‘Friend Or Foe’ out of the mundane, and there are plenty of other tedious MOR pop moments.

 

Faux-controversy, like the faux-sexuality, doesn’t make for great pop on its own, but if more acts made the same effort as t.A.T.u. to take a risk or two, pop would be healthier for it.