Three albums in and Canadian electro-pop trio Dragonette would appear
to have hit their stride. 'Body Parts' is their most coherent body
(sorry!) of work so-far. Sure it's formulaic and derivative with its
appropriation of some of the best and worst habits of the genre but
there's a buoyant quality to these twelve new numbers which pushes
them a tad closer to the front of the queue. It's a case of "simple is as
simple does" and nothing wrong with that. The success of the recording
has much to do with singer/keyboard player Martina Sorbara's voice which,
although not the most powerful or distinctive instrument on Planet Pop,
has a playful and persuasive presence even when she appears to be channeling
Kylie Minogue (jump immediately to 'Right Woman' for evidence of her debt to
our favourite diminutive Australian!) and (moreover) she can carry a tune.
Keep your expectations low and you will in all probability find much to
enjoy here. Standout tracks include the irrepressibly frothy 'Giddy Up';
'Lay Low', with its sweet-as-syrup yodel of a chorus and four-square backbeat;
the infectious wannabe-a-rock-chick shenanigans of 'Live In The City' and
especially the delightfully melodic finale provided by 'Ghost'. A very pretty song.
It's not rocket science (witness the ill-judged inclusion of 'Rocket Ship'; a bit of
a stinker truth-be-told) but makes up with enthusiasm what it lacks in imagination.
Nice enough.