Untitled, amazon.com (US), December, 2002

By Kim Hughes (Editor's Rating: N/A)

Two comely teenage lesbian lovers from Russia who happen to sing? That seems more like marketing masterstroke than pop music likelihood, so it's fair to question the authenticity of t.A.T.u.'s English language debut. It's impossible to know where t.A.T.u.'s talent begins and ends and just how much influence their various handlers and producer Trevor Horn had over 200 Km/h in the Wrong Lane, but it's probably a moot point to the intended demographic. Horn's background working with electro-pop dandies Pet Shop Boys and Frankie Goes to Hollywood is evident in the crisp, driving synth cushioning singers Lena Katina and Julia Volkova's gossamer vocals. Wink-nudge lyrical references to girls loving girls--presented in serviceable if phonetic English--are in evidence, though they're more coy than graphic. "All the Things She Said," a sparkly, chorus-driven rave-up, seems to make the case for sexual equality, while "Show Me Love"--which appears in regular and extended versions--is a dance floor missive aimed straight at the clubs. Best, though, is an unintentionally ironic cover of the Smiths' "How Soon Is Now." The song, a benchmark of loneliness and hopelessness, is utterly transformed into a chirpy duet which, all things considered, may be the best gimmick of all!

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