Review: “Hormonally Yours” by Shakespears Sister (CD, 1992)

I’ve rescued this CD – the second album from Shakespears Sister – ‘Hormonally Yours’ from 1992. Will you want this album to Stay in your collection, or should it be bard from your stereo? Read on…

There’s ~that~ big song on this album.

Yes, that one – Stay. It needs little introduction.

And probably most of you will only know that one Shakespears Sister song, but the duo (accomplished pop stars ex-Bananarama Siobhan Fahey, and soloist Marcella Detroit) released a few singles from this 12 track album, and its predecessor.

The opening track, the first single from this album, is Goodbye Cruel World and it acts as a great beginning. This is pop with real drums and guitars (take that, Alice DeeJay!) and a great blend of scaling vocals.

Then we’re into the catchy how-the-hell-could-you-follow-up-Stay? single I Don’t Care which bursts open with Marcella’s screaming introduction before wriggling into some wonderful guitar/bass.

Other singles lurking on this album are My 16th Apology and Hello (Turn Your Radio On) – both great tracks.

At times, I find Marcella Detroit’s vocal reach a little bit Kate Bush (and sorry, not a fan of the latter), but it works with her in contrast with Siobhan’s lower vocals. There’s also moments when I swear I hear Alison Goldfrapp (on Emotional Thing) and Shirley Manson from Garbage (on The Trouble With Andre).

In 1995, trip-hop artist Tricky sampled a piece of the intro to the 9th track – Moonchild – for his track Overcome. As a big fan of Tricky, I’m a bit dumbstruck as to just how tiny the sample is. I’m pretty sure he could have avoided sampling this track – seeing as he sped it up, and smothered it in beats.

Of all the tracks here, it’s ironically only Let Me Entertain You (no, not the Robbie Williams track) that feels like a filler.

Shakespears Sister’s lead single ‘Goodbye Cruel World’

Verdict

There’s some real treats on this album, but they all stand in the inevitable shadow of their biggest song Stay.

Hello (Turn Your Radio On) is particularly superb, and I still find it as gloriously sing-along even after all these years.

This album feels like the duo had become more comfortable after their debut ‘Sacred Heart‘, despite their sudden relationship breakdown afterwards that lasted for years until their return in about 2019.

It looks like Shakespears Sister might never be quite as famous as her brother 😉