Russian

Dangerous and Moving (In Newsweekly)

Time of publication: 02.11.2005
The Russian duo Tatu is known for two things - an incredibly catchy single ("All The Things She Said" from 2002's "200 Km/H in the Wrong Lane") and their image as teen lesbians. It's still a bit unclear whether Lena Katina and Julie Volkova are really lesbians or if it was all part of a masterful marketing campaign. But what is very clear is that Tatu makes some great pop music. For all the scorn heaped on the duo, "200 Km/H in the Wrong Lane" was a guilty confection of pop pleasure. And while their past effort played more like an EP than a full-length disc, their latest effort - "Dangerous and Moving" - proves that Tatu is more than a passing fad or marketing gimmick.

On this disc, the girls are older and wiser - and it shows in their vocal performances, particularly on tracks like "Cosmos (Outer Space)," which has the pair showcasing their lower registers. First single "All About Us" is a rock-edged offering that is just as catchy as their past singles. The sweet-sounding "Loves Me Not" still plays with their sexual confusion without sounding phony ("I complicated our lives / By falling in love with him / ... I don't know / why I had to try / living my life on the other side / Now I'm so confused"). The title track is a strong disc closer. And the Russian-language "Obezyanka Nol" is a nice addition, showing that the pair have not abandoned their roots.

A couple of the tracks are not as strong as the rest of the disc - most notably, the standard issue mid-tempo ballad "Gomenasai," which is Japanese for "I'm sorry" - but all in all, "Dangerous and Moving" is a dark, moody, danceable and sweet slice of Soviet-styled Euro-pop.

Fred Kuhr
In Newsweekly, innewsweekly.com
02.11.2005
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