No es Perfecta, es Miranda! mi Amor

If you’ve never heard of Miranda!, think Argentine version of the Scissor Sisters meets Mika. Ale Sergi (vocals), Juliana Gattas (vocals), Lolo Fuentes (guitar), and Nicolas Monoto Grimaldi (bass) specialize in over-the-top theatrics and electro-pop fun. El Disco de tu Corazon, Miranda!’s third full-length studio album was released on August 28 in the United States. The bright and glittery packaging of the album is hard to resist (and why I picked up the album in the first place at a music store in Buenos Aires), but the music itself ends up falling slightly short of expectations.

Nothing on this album is as addictive as the band’s biggest hit “Don,” off of the album Sin Restricciones. With its constant changes, danceable beats, and falsetto vocals, it was different from anything being produced in Argentina at the time. The problem is that when a band perfects the art of the pop song, it’s hard not to hit a plateau. Still, there are plenty of enjoyable dance tracks like the eerie “Prisionero” and the silly “Hola.” “No Me Celes” is perhaps the best song on the album, and it doesn’t even have the aid of synthesizers and sound effects, just sweet vocals and a Latin-flavored melody courtesy of la guitarra de Lolo. None of the lyrics on this album are as clever as “Don” or as provocative as “El Profe,” (also off Sin Restricciones) a song about a professor seducing a student. On “Voces,” when Ale sings “Voces adentro de mi costantemente quieren convencerme de algo que hare sin querer (voices inside of me want to convince me of something I’ll do without thinking),” it comes off as cheesy, but not in the self-aware way of previous albums, such as when the band performs telenovela theme covers.

For all these petty complaints, it’s hard not to love Miranda! After all, the title of the album translates to the album of your heart, and how can a band who wears superhero outfits, top hats, and roller skates, not find its way to your heart?