Album Review: Who Killed Amanda Palmer
A Critical Listen of the Punk Cabaret Piano-Pounder's First Solo LP
Sep 30, 2008
Recently, it might have seemed like the creative talent of Amanda Palmer—half of Boston's punk-cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls—was waning. The Dolls' most recent release, 2008's No, Virginia..., was a lukewarm collection of toned-down B-sides, and the band was put on hiatus as Palmer focused on her solo career. The result of this endeavor is Who Killed Amanda Palmer, which puts to rest any fears about Palmer becoming tame or quiet.
Who Killed Amanda Palmer takes everything Palmer has become known for and throws it into twelve songs. From the gigantic chords and strings in opener “Astronaut” to the soaring orchestral finale “Another Year”, the album assaults a listener with a combination of rage, black humor, passion, and despondence. Palmer writes in great extremes on the album, which both reestablishes her dark, theatrical persona and goes perfectly with her highly emotional singing style.
Palmer Bolstered by Ben Folds and Contributers
Many things have been thrown into this album, from varied contributers to various instruments. Palmer has pulled out all the stops in terms of personnel, the most prominent addition being piano-pop guru Ben Folds producing and contributing. Who Killed Amanda Palmer was recorded in Folds' Nashville studio, and his musical contributions go far beyond adding a pretty voice, piano, and/or drumset. Palmer's piano technique on this album is more classically-inspired than it was in The Dresden Dolls—probably a result of Folds' tutelage—and Folds' production style is crisp and loud, which fits the album's style in most places.
In addition to Folds, Palmer brings forth musical contributers and instruments that accent the album a great deal. In an interview with Spin magazine, she said, “We've been adding everything from organs... to strings, horns, and tympani. The final result should be biblical.” This statement couldn't describe the album better; its sound is as theatrical as the material Palmer sings about. The LP also features cello-punk band Rasputina's former cellist Zoe Keating, Dead Kennedys' guitarist East Bay Ray, and vocalist Annie Clark.
Who Killed Amanda Palmer Invokes Dresden Dolls, Palmer's Theatrics
With all of these separate influences coming through, it might seem like Amanda Palmer's solo project is practically a piano/punk-cabaret supergroup. Fortunately, this could not be further from the truth. Palmer's songwriting style comes across strong in almost all of the tracks on Who Killed Amanda Palmer. “Runs in the Family”—about a variety of psychologically traumatized youth—is sung at breakneck speed; a song reminiscent of The Dresden Dolls. Similarly is “Oasis”, an obnoxiously poppy song about a rape, an abortion, and an autographed poster from Brit-rockers Oasis.
While Palmer's distinctive lyrical material and singing style keeps her mark on the album, a few songs seem out of place. The piano ballads, such as “Ampersand”, “Blake Says”, and “Have to Drive” are another of Palmer's trademarks and they all ring true but sound out of place. Who Killed Amanda Palmer is not friendly to the softer songs, and although they are beautifully written and sung, they seem empty compared to the rest of the album. Simplicity has never been Palmer's forte, so the piano ballads are often supported by strings and gigantic chords, but not Palmer's distinctive singing style. The differences here are easy to appreciate, but they seem to be at odds with the rest of the album, creating a minor rift.
9.25/10—Despite the two distinct genres of songs (abrasive attacks and flowing ballads), Who Killed Amanda Palmer is a sure contender for Album of the Year. The album is powerful, creative, and shows that Palmer's emotional ferocity never died.
Who Killed Amanda Palmer was released September 16 on Roadrunner Records. Visit Amanda Palmer's website here.
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