t.A.T.u. 200 Km/H in the Wrong Lane label: Interscope Records released: 12.10.02 our score: 3.0 out of 5.0

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I'm probably going to do more damage than good to my credibility by saying this, but t.A.T.u.'s debut album 200 km/h In the Wrong Lane is surprisingly good.

By now you've likely heard the debut single from this Russian pop duo, and you've probably also seen the naughty little video that goes with it. Yep, being Russian teenage lesbians is definitely their gimmick - but let's face it, there's something enticing about that concept. And don't even get me started on the fact that in the video for "All the Things She Said" they're in school girl outfits... in the rain. If t.A.T.u. isn't all about image, then nothing is.

But the strange thing is, as easy as it is to make fun of them, 200 km/h In the Wrong Lane is actually a damn fine album. In fact, take away the vocals and you're left with an unbelievable example of studio magic. The programming here is impeccable, with a commercial-friendly dance sound that's quite similar to less-popular, but maybe more relevant contemporaries, Madison Avenue and The Vengaboys - only the programming and production is far beyond anything from either of these groups. And damn, are the songs catchy.

Of course it only makes sense, what with Russian commercial producer Trevor Horn being the mastermind behind t.A.T.u. After spending years perfecting the 30-second television spot one would hope he'd have learned how to pull someone in and hold them with just a quick listen.

As for the album itself, 200 km/h tends to stay fairly close to the techno/rock sound of "All the Things She Said," with that first single actually being one of the album's lower points. Only the totally unnecessary and, in this reviewer's opinion, completely blasphemous cover of The Smiths classic "How Soon Is Now" is worse. In fact, the album's second U.S. single "They're Not Gonna Get Us" is likely to be an even bigger hit, especially in the mainstream club scene.

But what t.A.T.u. (the girls) is really about is still the gimmick. And in the world of pop music, that's the name of the game - and t.A.T.u. are rewriting the book. After all there's something cute, yet extremely dirty about two cute "underage" Russian "lesbians" proclaiming their controversial love while struggling with their English. And that's kind of the point here I think; it's really just music to have really angry sex to and then not know whether you should have a cigarette or cry after you've finished.
17-Apr-2002 11:10 PM

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