Personnel: Carlos Alomar (guitar, acoustic guitar); Joan Wasser (violin); Crispin Cioe (saxophone); Laurence Etkin (trumpet); Bob Funk (trombone); Paul Leschen, Elton John (piano); Gina Gershon (Jew's harp).

Additional personnel: Larry Etkin (trumpet); J. J. Garden (piano); Gina Gershon, Crispin Cioe, Elton John, Joan Wasser, Bob Funk, Carlos Alomar.

Audio Mixers: Dan Grech-Marguerat; Neil Harris.

Recording information: Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, NV; Discoball Jazzfest Studio, New York, NY; EMI Music Publishing Studios, London, England; Entourage Recording Studio, Burbank, CA; Hell Pony, Los Angeles, CA; Sear Sound, New York, NY.

Photographer: Rocky Schenck.

Arranger: Van Dyke Parks.

The Scissor Sisters' self-titled 2004 debut proved the band to be postmodern recombinant wizards of the first order, mixing the hookiest elements of pop history with tongues planted firmly in cheeks. The group's sophomore effort, TA-DAH, builds on many of those same references, including flashy glitter-ball disco, accessible 1970s AM pop, glam rock, and almost any artist who has crafted dramatic, danceable jams with a knowing wink.

When not mining familiar vibes from the Bee Gees ("I Don't Feel Like Dancin'") and Elton John ("She's My Man"), the Scissor Sisters reference Blondie ("Kiss You Off"), Paul McCartney (the music hall-esque "I Can't Decide"), and Stevie Wonder (on the funky tune titled, ironically, "Paul McCartney"), among others. But it's the way the Sisters throw these elements together that lifts them above jokiness and into the realm of pure, celebratory fun. And it's this--along with the album's sharp sense of craft-- that makes it superior to its predecessor.

Rolling Stone (p.70) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Every song is rooted in some long-gone Seventies AM-radio hit, from Leo Sayer to Glen Campbell, doing for disco what the New Pornographers do for rock & roll."

Spin (p.96) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]hese new songs gleam with nouveau riche sparkle....Examine TA-DAH more closely and you hear the melancholy underlining that triumph."

Entertainment Weekly (p.77) - "[A]n album that undercuts whimsy with an unexpected but intriguing air of melancholy....The group moves further into their broody selves and beyond mimicking their heroes..." -- Grade: A-

Q (p.104) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]hey've recreated the sound of their debut wholesale,then tossed on a couple of extra layers of flamboyance for good measure."

Q (p.124) - Ranked #9 in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums of 2006" -- "TA-DAH found Scissor Sisters on energised form, spicing up their magic blend of '70s disco and Elton-esque piano ballads."

Uncut (p.96) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Whether they're plundering the past, outdoing themselves, collaborating with Elton and Van Dyke, or writing techno paeans to ex-Beatles, its all good."

Mojo (Publisher) (p.96) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "'The Other Side', for instance, skillfully echoes Roxy Music circa AVALON, complete with lounge-smooth guitar and sax solos."