"I can’t pay my rent / But I’m fucking gorgeous!" Semi Precious Weapons’ near-transgender glam-rock frontperson Justin Tranter opens You Love You with those lyrics on "Semi Precious Weapons", introducing everyone to just exactly what the band is. Though this is actually the band’s sophomore release (after 2008’s We Love You), one would be forgiven for thinking it’s their debut, considering not only the band opening with a self-titled song, but also their massive increase in fame following being handpicked to open the ‘Monsters Ball Tour’ by none other than Lady Gaga herself (who served as executive producer on You Love, which is the group’s major label debut). The grit-glam of "Semi Precious Weapons" and Tranter’s opening line kind of tell you all you need to know about You Love You – actually, all you want to know, as the record first repeats itself, then drops into unconvincing & overdone by the end.
Ms. Gaga picked Semi Precious Weapons thanks to their electric live show (QRO live review), featuring Tranter’s ultra-glammie-trannie on-stage antics (such as declaring that he, "Needs some inspiration… for my operation," then asking ladies in the crowd to show their tits to get him in the mood for a sex change…), with more wildness from bassist Cole Whittle. Unfortunately on record, you obviously can’t catch the antics of the latter, and only a bit from the former – but it’s still an album that is much lifted by having experienced SPW live. The grit-glam explosion of "SPW" and procession of "Put a Diamond In It" open You Love You well, but after that the sound feels a bit run-of-the-mill on the following "Magnetic Baby", the shtick gets a little old on "Sticky With Champagne", and it’s all overdone on "I Could Die" & "Rock ‘n’ Roll Never Looked So Beautiful" – especially the guitar-wail solos from Steve Pyne (which one doesn’t notice so much live).
And there are the times where Semi Precious Weapons tries to get serious – seriously. The darker restraint to early number "Statues of Ourselves" is actually fairly decent, but the stripped & sad "Leave Your Pretty To Me" and "Look At Me" near the end utterly don’t convince – SPW aren’t channeling seventies glam there; they’re channeling eighties hair metal ballads.
Honestly, anyone who’s seen Semi Precious Weapons probably wasn’t expecting much from them on record, anymore than anyone who’s seen Lady Gaga expects much more from her albums – you go for the spectacle. On You Love You, Semi Precious Weapons starts by reminding you of the spectacle, then overdoes it, then really overdoes it. But that’s kind of what you were expecting.
MP3 Stream: "Semi Precious Weapons"
