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Amanda Palmer made a name for herself as one-half of punk-cabaret act The Dresden Dolls, but never have her songwriting and vocal talents been put to better use than on her debut solo album Who Killed Amanda Palmer. Produced by Ben Folds and recorded in his Nashville-based studio, the album features lush instrumentation and a wonderfully eclectic slate of guest artists.
Palmer has always been an unapologetically personal songwriter (she penned a Dresden Dolls tune called “First Orgasm”), and this album continues in that vein with songs exploring rape (“Oasis”), dysfunctional families (“Runs in the Family”), broken relationships (“Astronaut”) and loss (“Have to Drive.”) While much of Palmer’s music written for the Dresden Dolls has a certain theatrical element to it (befitting a band whose live shows are reminiscent of a wacky burlesque event), Who Killed Amanda Palmer unveils a vulnerable, very human side of the singer/songwriter's personality.“Blake Says” is a melancholy, lullaby-esque tune about a
cruel man who keeps those who care for him at arm’s length. A slowly building piano line and
haunting strings illustrate the depths of her lover’s frigidity, which she compares to
the frigid plains of
Palmer's selection of guest artists,
including Folds, avant cellist Zoe Keating, Dead Kennedys’ East Bay Ray, is truly inspired.
Stand-out collaborations include
Perhaps the most significant criticism of this work as a whole is the creeping sense of sameness that develops as the record plays through. Several songs continue to bleed together in one’s memory, even after several listens, and others, like “Strength through Music,” simply don’t tread any new ground for Palmer.
Overall, the album is an honest, and at times heartbreaking, exploration of life’s struggles and losses. Closer “Another Year: A Short History of Almost Something” picks up nearly a year after Palmer’s lover has gone. Amidst a sonic landscape of lilting piano chords and an aching violin, she reflects on all of the pain he has caused her, and yet, she cannot bring herself to let him go, insisting “I think I’ll wait another year.” If Palmer has more of these songs up her sleeve, that year won't be too long to wait.
Listen to Amanda Palmer's "Blake Says" from Who Killed Amanda Palmer:
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My rating was pointed more at the song than the artist. It's obvious the piano talent is there, but it's one of those albumms I'd probably listen to once and that would be it. The live "coffee shop" type rapport with the audience is unique. I like hearing an artist expose
what inpire's his/her songwriting.
I cant see myself listening to half of this album more than once. Tracks like Guitar Hero and Have to Drive beckon to be skipped over. Others like Another Year and Blake Says are well crafted enough to be appreciated for what they are, but you wont find yourself sitting on the train thinking "Oh! You know what would be awesome right now? Strength Through Music!"
There are a few really good tracks, Ampersand is one of her best ballads thus far, and Runs in the Family actually benefits from the overproduced sound of the album whereas most of the music is just hampered by it. Astronaut and Oasis are the two songs that evoke the Dresden Dolls sound the most, and not coincidentally they are her best efforts here.
I have to respond to David P's comments. Guitar Hero and Have to Drive, rather than being tracks that "beckon to be skipped over" are two of the many standouts on the album. The orchestration on Have to Drive is absolutely gorgeous, and the song itself is so emotive. Guitar Hero is just such a solid rock-and-roll song that you don't even realize that you're having fun to a song that is about the blending of virtual and actual realities of war.
These aren't songs that you'll find yourself wishing for on a train, because if you're like me, you're already listening to them. Many of them, like Blake Says, Astronaut, Guitar Hero, and Have to Drive, demand full attention, especially the first few times around. This is not the background music to your life. This is like a good but challenging novel where each time you take the time to really listen, you'll find another layer, both musically and lyrically.
Amanda Palmer is showing a softer side here than on many of the Dresden Dolls records, allowing her voice and lyrics to seep, instead of slam, through on smartly written ballads like Point of It All and Ampersand.
Oasis is probably the track most like a Ben Folds track, and both it and Leeds United are fun songs that keep you from feeling weighted down from the entire album. Runs in the Family, similarly, seems to cater to Dresden Dolls fans, with a cadence and rhythm similar to Girl Anachronism.
Astronaut is among the best songs Palmer has ever written, and what Folds and Zoe Keating (on the cello) bring to table makes this song an epic masterpiece. I can listen to it over and over again and never get bored.
If you like your music interesting, emotional, thought-provoking, personal, at times fun, and at times complex, this is the album for you. It is easily the best album I've heard this year, and among some of the best I've ever had the privilege to listen to.
I'm the kind of person who barely ever buys cd's (no, not in the sense that all of my music is stolen or illegal) generally I just find that I'll like one or two songs by an artist, not whole albums.
So it is a really big thing to me when I actually *rush* to a store to buy an album, and then *rush* home to stick it in my old personal cd player; but that's exactly what I did for Who Killed Amanda Palmer. Personally, I can happily listen to it all the way through; because the album as a whole feels like an emotional journey.
You need to experience every emotion to fully appreciate the outcome at the end : )
It has gotten me through so many hour long bus rides..
to put it simply, THIS is what today's music needs. something REAL.
Thank you for posting such a positive review of such an amazing album. This for me, is easily the best album of the year, and has firmly rooted itself in contention to be one of my top albums of all time.
As a huge Dresden Dolls fan, I was probably equal parts excited, and nervous about the prospect of a solo album from Amanda. What if the songs just didn't sparkle as much, what if something was missing? Thankfully, after hearing a few of the songs live, I knew that was not going to be the case.
Who Killed Amanda Palmer captivates you from the intro of Astronaut. Zoe Keating's cello brings added depth to proceedings and leaves you feeling that this is the more mature, more comfortable sounding Amanda Palmer coming into her own. Other highlights for me would have to be the lilting self awareness of 'Runs In The Family', the reflective musings of 'The Point of it All' and the delicately painful 'Have To Drive'.
In response to another users comment about 'Strength Through Music', I have to say that I find the simplicity of the song the most effective part. I would urge anyone who can to go to see Amanda Palmer on tour with the Danger Ensemble to see the performance they bring to the song, which makes it that much more haunting. A great song, about a topic that shouldn't be overlooked.
Overall, I bought this album for a lot of my friends, because I was so passionate about how good it is, and I wanted them to see for themselves. From doing this, I have converted many of them into liking Amanda, the album and The Dresden Dolls as a result.
Buy the album, go to a show, see for yourself. You will love this record.
Amanda Palmer is truly an artistic genius, in the most completely positive sense of the word. Her songwriting is gorgeous; she is an accomplished musician, an obviously knowledgeable and talented arranger, and her lyrics are insightful. She is a genuine person who cares about her fans and her artwork; her songs lead her listeners to invest themselves in her work as much as she has, and to a larger extent, to be involved and passionate creators themselves. She creates beautiful, melancholic, always intriguing songs that are layered with a sharp intellect and her deep soul.