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Written by Laura Hamlett Thursday, 05 January 2006 11:36

Over a droning drum-and-bass line, Tranter’s yelps are close to perfection, and the bridge before the hard-hitting refrain is positively haunting.

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“I can’t pay my rent, but I’m fuckin’ gorgeous.” So begins The Precious EP by NYC garage-glam band Semi-Precious-Weapons. If you can get past this song—which is a bit of a one-trick pony; funny at first, then just trying—this debut isn’t at all bad. Not enough bands are doing glam these days—or, at least, doing glam right—so it’s refreshing to see the attitude, angles, and dance music all come together. “Classic Case” is more vintage ’80s wave, but this track is better suited to frontman Justin Tranter’s playfully strong yet androgynous vocals. On the slowed-down “Surgery,” Tranter’s yearning voice hearkens Suede’s Brett Anderson—not quite glam, but awfully close. At 6:07 in length and coming at midway through the EP, the song nearly drags the disc down.

Luckily, “Crack Open Your Gorgeous Face” is a welcome shot of playful, sexy glam. Over a droning drum-and-bass line, Tranter’s yelps are close to perfection, and the bridge before the hard-hitting refrain is positively haunting. Only the repetitive female moans toward the end push the song too far into comic territory. “Too Pretty to Be a Cowboy” is the band’s glam ballad; though Tranter’s voice stretches itself beautifully, I can’t help the mental image of a drag queen onstage in a solo spotlight. Regardless, The Precious EP is an impressive debut for this brand-new quintet whose live show is more than likely its strong point. I, for one, am looking forward to the tour.