Is
Sigue Sigue Sputnik the house band at the Cleopatra Records pressing plant? The image-crazy new wavers seem to appear on every one of Cleo's gimmicky artist tributes, and this electro/industrial-flavored paean to
Soft Cell is no different. (Dig the
Non-Stop Erotic cover nod.) Sputnik gets things started lamely with a shrill version of "Memorabilia"; "Sex Dwarf" is culled from
Dirty Sanchez' atrocious '04 EP
Really Rich Italian Satanists, the one that extended the electroclash joke a few inches beyond ridiculous; and Ambra Red's reading of "Tainted Love" is a nearly unrecognizable mess of phantom reverb and misfiring drum machines. Fairlight Children's "Bedsitter" is a bit better, helped by the vocalist's perfectly decadent phrasing. And
Queen of Japan turns in a slightly sped-up version of "Seedy Films" that features a female vocalist. Though these are highlights, they don't help
Tribute to Soft Cell add up to something worthwhile. Like many of these Cleopatra comps, it seems like this collection is actually aiming for hit-or-miss. ~ Johnny Loftus