When I first heard Amanda Palmer was working on a solo album I immediately questioned her motivation. The theatrical singer/pianist and principal songwriter of The Dresden Dolls only has one other member in her band – drummer Brian Viglione – so how much could she possibly accomplish sonically and personally by simply dropping the other half of her band for an album?
It seems I underestimated Brian’s artistic input in The Dresden Dolls. Amanda has released an album revealing she clearly needed to get some very personal things off her chest, and do it by herself. Her method (for the most part) differs from the crash-and-bang sound she and her usual counterpart favour.
The style is mostly cabaret but done in the midst of uproar and commotion only Amanda could stir up. ‘Ampersand’ and ‘Leeds United’ are the early standouts. The former is a sweet, temperate song featuring piano and string, and Amanda’s strained vocals flowing along the lower melody, and chirping the occasional high note – honest and unrepentant with every pitch. The latter proves that pianos can still jam out awesome hard-rock in the 21st Century; as Amanda tries her damndest to keep the mic in the red, she is aided with an army of percussion and punchy brass.
‘Oasis’ features chirpy happy-go-lucky melodies ironically set against lyrics of depicting rape and abortion, which are apparently scars Amanda can live with since ‘’Oasis got my letter in the mail’.’ Alongside such dense emotion feature entirely stripped-back tracks featuring Amanda just doing her thing at her piano – although usually accompanied by a string section.
For Dresden Dolls fans, don’t worry, Amanda Palmer will not disappointed you… I find it hard to believe a character so brutally honest with her self and her fans ever could. Her presence in the music is as potent and audacious as ever, and (I can’t help but express this cliché) this is an album which gets more amazing with every listen. Go and listen to it! Listen to it right now!
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