The start to the Scissor Sisters’s Land of a Thousand Words, with its line “another constellation dies”, surprises me. For a while I can’t quite work out which band this opening reminds me of, the answer eluding me, and then it clicks that it’s Mercury Rev. Which is certainly an unexpected comparison for me, given that the previous singles from the band I’ve heard owe more to Elton John or the Bee Gees, than a psychedelic, rock-pop band.

As the track continues and the suggestion is lost, the track develops into a mature piece of pop. Exploring the idea of opening songs for a movie, borne of the band’s obsession with James Bond theme songs, the track has a wistful note to it. The oblique lyrics about relationships refer to a movie-style hero (“and you just keep on saving the day”), accompanied by a piano melody and a hook driven, dramatic sound. After that surprising start, the song does after all remind me of an Elton John track. But, given the Scissor Sisters success, I mustn’t be the only one who grew up listening to their parents play Elton John’s music and secretly is a fan.