Flowing throughout the album is a tangible dramatic flair. There is a Dresden Dolls-like theatrical cabaret goth aura that plays out particularly forcefully on tracks like "He's Sickened By My Crude Emotion". The blends very well when the band explores broader soundscapes as on the album opener "Son of Man", which bears an almost Cocteau Twins ethereal feel.
Their piano-based songs can swing like a pendulum from elegant ("Lily Sincere") to clattering ("You Must Love Me"). On the propulsive "Keyboard Like a Gun", the piano is swapped out for, surprise, a keyboard.
Lead vocalist Kristeen Young possesses a voice that can often be booming. However, her more interesting delivery, like on "Comfort Is Never a Goal" or "If You Marry Him", involves a quivering high note style reminiscent of Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker.
Perhaps the most pleasantly surprising track is "That's What It Takes, Dear", featuring Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump on vocals. Stump's performance is uncharacteristically dark. He stays just this side of restrained, making it an almost Dulli-esque show.
The big flaw of the record is its consistency. At times the songs become a little too familiar, making it difficult for the listener to concentrate and devote their total attention to it.
Hopefully there are strippers, hookers, and odd-onlookers out there who will embrace the album.
Best tracks: "That's What It Takes, Dear", "Comfort Is Never a Goal"
Track listing for Music for Strippers, Hookers, and the Odd-Onlookers:
- Son of Man
- The Depression Contest
- Stop Thinking
- Everybody Wants Me To Cry
- You Must Love Me
- That's What It Takes, Dear
- I Won't Be Home For Christmas
- Comfort Is Never a Goal
- He's Sickened By My Crude Emotion
- Lily Sincere
- Keyboard Like a Gun
- If You Marry Him
- Protestant
- Halfway Across the Atlantic Ocean
7.0/10
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