Album Review

Amanda Palmer – Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

• 31st Dec 2008

‘WHO Killed Amanda Palmer?’ Is the debut solo release from one half of brechtian-punk cabaret duo, The Dresden Dolls.

For those of you unfamiliar with Palmer’s distinctive voice, look and attitude, you will certainly know who she is and what she is all about upon sampling her album.

It’s safe to say that after the Dolls demise, Palmer simply returned to her piano-ballad roots, which she conducts effortlessly. There is an evident lack of drum, which was Brian Viglione’s role in the band and instead Palmer opts for pared down harmony, including the soft cello-playing of Zoe Keating.

The record has a distinctive rock-jazz hybrid quality to it. Palmer pairs her witty and cynical songwriting with sharp, dark and playful piano numbers. The album is one step ahead of the Dresden Dolls but retains all Amanda’s original charm and appeal. The best thing about the album is it almost has two faces to itself. It has a gentle jazz piano, old smoky bar in the 1940’s feel to it yet at the same time it provides electric guitar and angry piano (almost) bashing within twelve songs.

Preaching tales about death, love and depression the album takes on a moody and defeated atmosphere with songs like ‘Ampersand’ and ‘Have To Drive’. Produced by Ben Folds, the album derives it’s title as a play on the series Twin Peak’s surrounding the disappearance and death of Laura Palmer.

No stranger to controversy and non-convention, Palmer has come under fire, specifically in the UK, for her sassy, up-tempo, tounge-in-cheek song ‘Oasis’ about the delights of rape and abortion. On the other hand, she dedicates the eerie and somber ‘Strength Through Music’ to the viscious high-school shootings that infamously occured across America.

Rock anthem and literal air-guitar number ‘Guitar Hero’ and power piano ballad ‘Astronaut’ are the stand-out songs of the album. The latter being a melodic yet crashing opening to the album.

At face value, with her supposedly tattooed-on eyebrows and questionable unconventional style, you might not give Amanda Palmer a passing look or the time of day. But this feisty songwriter has attitude and opinion on all aspects of society, whether it be politics, relationships or social attitudes.

Her music carries a message whatever the circumstance and she delivers it in a charming, dark and clever medium.