The Dresden Dolls: No, Virginia...
A Review of the Boston-Based Dark Cabaret Band's Compilation Album
Jun 16, 2008
No Virginia..., a compilation CD from Boston's “Brechtian punk cabaret” duo The Dresden Dolls, was released in May to great skepticism. It's the first 'new' material the band has put out in 2 years, but the tracks are all b-sides or unreleased tracks. Hopefully the band is using this album as a chance to try something new and it isn't a permanent shift in The Dresden Dolls' sound.
The album has too much filler—lengthy, repetitive piano breaks often take a listener to yet another chorus—and as a result, most of the songs drag. What's more, the songs that are still interesting are often carbon copies of the band's older material. As a compilation album it may be decent, but why did fans have to wait two years for it?
The band, which consists of Amanda Palmer on piano/vocals and Brian Viglione on drums/guitar, is known for their lyrics. Amanda Palmer's tomboyish voice yelps and shouts about sex changes, hermaphrodites, drug addicts while occasionally going into a normal female singing range. The unsettling and unique vocals contributed a great deal to the band's identity, but they have almost completely disappeared on No, Virginia...
No, Virginia... Rehashes, Dilutes Palmer's Material
As a singer/songwriter, Amanda Palmer is a combination of witty and crass, and she tells vivid stories of disgruntled, heartbroken nobodies. Unfortunately, on No, Virginia..., the same stories start telling themselves again. “The Gardener”, one of the few tracks on the album which carries a traditional Dresden Dolls style, is the same as “Slide”, one of the tracks from their eponymous 2003 debut. Both songs involve strange men (the gardener and the orange man) who take from unsuspecting youths, and the songs' similar stories and tempoes seem more than coincidental.
“The Gardener” is one of a few songs on the album which rehash themes already explored by The Dresden Dolls. Sadly, these songs are preferable, as they are the best-written. The majority of the album is tamer than past material; the band seems to be losing the edginess they are known for. It doesn't help that songs like “Night Reconnaissance” and “Pretty in Pink” have extremely upbeat piano. Palmer's style as a pianist has also changed on this album, and some of the songs border on being piano-pop rather than punk cabaret.
“Lonesome Organist” Stands Out, Makes Album Fun
The only gem on this album is “Lonesome Organist Rapes Page-Turner” from the Japanese release of the 2006 Yes, Virginia... The song, which focuses on Palmer's childhood experiences with pedophilic piano teachers, is catchy yet dark and somewhat horrifying. In short, the song is a fusion of the sound presented by The Dresden Dolls in past albums and the sound they present in this one, and this fusion works. It is the only track on the album which seems to evolve the band's sound without copying it or trying something entirely different.
Die-hard fans of Palmer and Viglione may not like No, Virginia... It is significantly poppier than their previous albums, and the lyrics are nowhere near as dark as in the past. But if another band had released the album, it would probably be shed in a much more positive light because some of the album is simply fun. Songs like “Dear Jenny”, “Night Reconnaissance”, and “Lonesome Organist” are catchy and rewarding listens, but most of the album requires just as much effort to listen to and gives nothing in return.
No, Virginia... misses more than it hits and diverts more than it evolves. Sure, it's just a compilation album, but for the first new material from The Dresden Dolls in 2 years, it does not meet up with the expectations delivered by the band in their previous albums.
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