6/10

While Scissor Sisters may not be as active as they once were, currently six years and counting since their last studio album, it seems that their flamboyant frontman Jake Shears hasn't quite succumb to the dreaded writer's block as he unveils his self-titled debut album. But while this would usually be an opportunity for an artist to break away from their familiar roots and create something new and different, Shears seems quite happy to continue the style of his initial outfit on this new release.

From the start, it is clear that Jake Shears may have been the driving force behind the Scissor Sisters' sound. His solo effort is filled with all the same sultry electro-funk and glossy pop production that we have been used to over the last decade from SS, but every now and again we get to hear the true Jake Shears breaking through. As a child of Arizona, his musical origins are clearly settled in the southern country scene, and this seems to be a direction he likes to explore on tracks like 'Sad Song Backwards' and 'Mississippi Delta (I'm Your Man)', while also indulging in some gospel and soul influences on 'S.O.B.'

Overall, 'Jake Shears' seems to have been an opportunity for the frontman to experiment with new ideas, but they all seem to have become crushed together in this super-polished collection that never quite sees him try anything too far from his comfort zone. An enjoyable release but nothing we haven't heard before.