The Bird and The Bee are releasing their sophomore effort, Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future on Blue Note this month. The title of the record was influenced by the U.S. military’s recent invention of the functional ray gun, and on a wider scale: the frightening fact that the sci-fi inventions of our past have become the present reality (Segways anyone?). On a lighter note however, the duo of Inara George and Greg Kurstin have also taken some of the less scary aspects of our past (Tropicalia, Psychedelia, etc.) and have rolled them into something lighthearted and danceable, and most importantly: non-lethal.

The record’s brief dramatic intro (”Fanfare”) segues into opener “My Love,” a buoyant but tender love song that features George singing like a teenaged France Gall about the excitement of emotional yearning. The PG-13 lyrics aren’t exactly memorable (”Hey boy would you take me out tonight/I’m not afraid of all the reasons why we shouldn’t try”) but are in keeping with the band’s goal of making “fun” music. And it is fun – if you put away lyrical pretension Ray Guns is a beautifully produced joyful romp on the dance floor. The production by Kurstin (who has worked with Lily Allen and Kylie Minogue) is flawless and Inara’s staggering vocal range is the secret to the sauce. Listen to the hip hoppy jam “Polite Dance Song” for a taste of the peaks and valleys she can navigate with the strength of her pipes alone. On “Baby” too, George demonstrates a vocal deftness that is rare in the era of autotune and pitch correction (having seen George sing live I know for a fact that she is just as talented outside the studio as in it).

Unfortunately the equation doesn’t always work, and even George’s vocals can’t save “Meteor” from relative banality (though upon first listen I thought that the song was about the depressed donkey from Winnie the Pooh, “Eeyore,” which would make for an interesting remix). Luckily this is the exception to the rule though, as the rest of the tracks are generally Bird and the Bee gold material. “Diamond Dave” is a brilliant and hilarious ode to David Lee Roth, and contains some of the record’s best beats and production work. “Love Letter to Japan” is perhaps the most danceable track, a lively drum machine anthem that brings to the fore some of the group’s more electronic influences. Though my favorite track is the ethereal and vocally complex “What’s in the Middle,” the contender for first single is most likely “Birthday,” a song that also appeared on the group’s One Too Many Hearts EP last year. Though “Birthday”’s Xanadu-inspired theatricality is a little too much for me at times, it does have a hook that’s downright catchy.

While Rayguns contains a great deal of spark and playfulness, examining it through the lens of the band’s 2007 self titled effort isn’t quite as flattering. Rayguns is good, but like many sophomore records it plays a bit like the Jan Brady to its older sister Marsha. Regardless, it is still much better than a lot of the dancepop currently out there so if that is your modus operandi then I recommend checking this out. Even better, when the band tours, I suggest catching them in person. Voices like Inara’s are something to behold, really no matter what they are singing.

The Bird and the Bee “Birthday” (mp3)
The Bird and the Bee “What’s In The Middle” (mp3)

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Also: (A Striking Realization: The Bird and the Bee)