Simon Says You Must Get On Your Knees

When you first look at the Pipettes, you might be tempted to dismiss them as gimmicky and light. You might look at this lovely 60's throwback trio in matching polka-dot dresses, standing before a crowd, harmonizing with coordinated hand movements, as if the Supremes were white Brightonites, smile at the clever lyrics, and think to yourself, "There's no way anyone's going to be listening to this music five years from now. I give them two albums, max."

But then you want to hear the songs again. You slap yourself for having called them derivative. Who else can write such a catchy song about a girl's teenage crush, crushed by the boy's being gay, and resolved by the epiphany that she's attracted to other girls? School Uniform is out of place, out of time, and makes you feel a little weird when you imagine it's happening at Arnold's Diner.

Anyone who has suffered from a broken heart will relate to It Hurts to See You Dance So Well, when the Pipettes sing "I've got no spirit for dancing since you walked out the door," and "It hurts to see you looking so fine" and "It hurts to see you dance so well." Then there's the uber-infectious Judy (Watcha Gonna Do?) about whom the narrator sings:

All the older boys would stop and turn their heads
All the older girls wished that she was dead

You'll wish you were on their playground when they play their version of Simon Says (mp3):

Simon says you must get on your knees
Simon's telling you to beg me please
And if you don't do what I say we can't have any fun

Simon says we're gotta tie you up
Simon says those bonds aren't tight enough...

When the Pipettes ask if the class bad boy, who sits in the back, and is seven years older than the rest of the class, is "Really That Bad (mp3)," is it with worry or hope? Yeah, it's with hope.

The Pipettes just signed with Memphis Industries, which means that they're one step closer to a debut album. Lucky for us.