Web Exclusive: Who Killed Amanda Palmer

Review: Who Killed Amanda Palmer Amanda Palmer Roadrunner Records Grade: A Who Killed Amanda… Review: Who Killed Amanda Palmer Amanda Palmer Roadrunner Records Grade: A Who Killed Amanda Palmer, the debut solo effort from Dresden Dolls vocalist Amanda Palmer, is not truly much of a deviation from the gothic-cabaret-ballad style of the Dolls ‘- in fact, it’s mostly comprised of remastered versions of ballads performed live during Dresden Dolls shows. While just as stirring and exultant as the Dresden Dolls’ efforts, Palmer’s solo album distinguishes itself from her band’s work through the creation of a tragedy mythos that adds an exceptionally impactful dimension to her vocal stylings. This story, created by a combination of cover art, the songs themselves, and even subtle whispering at the end of most of the tracks (‘Amanda’hellip;Amanda, please’hellip;’), is less of a mystery than the title of the album might indicate. It is more of a mix of Marilyn Monroe-style obsession with Lynchian-‘Twin Peaks’-Laura Palmer-style intrigue. In particular, it’s less of an investigation into who actually ‘killed’ Amanda Palmer than an enshrinement of her ‘iconic’ status, a bittersweet revisiting of her life and her persona. In a way, it’s an interesting and subtle type of character study for the listener, giving the album a value beyond the purely musical. The visual aspects of the album are perhaps the best at evoking this mythos. Beyond the dark retro images of Palmer splayed all about the album cover, it also eschews the typical critical blurbs on the back, replacing them with a fictional 1962 piece (written by none other than Neil Gaiman) regarding Palmer’s infamy and the effects of her ‘death’.’ Even the lack of a question mark in the title furthers this story, as it is less about who actually killed her but what led to her death, what combination of fate and misfortune led to the murder of this starlet-version of Palmer. Of course, the music is still the focus, and it does not disappoint. The album is mostly ballads in the quirky faux-cabaret style so distinctive of the Dresden Dolls, but feels a great deal slower and more emotional than any of the Dresden Dolls’ efforts. For those familiar with the Dolls, it is definitely more ‘Coin-Operated Boy’ than ‘Girl Anachronism’ or ‘Lonesome Organist Rapes Page-Turner’ (although ‘Oasis’ is even more blatant on the subject of rape than ‘Organist’, delving into the topic of abortion). In general, however, the tracks trade in the Dolls’ frenetic, exhilarating instrumentals and lyrics for a slightly more down-tempo and theatrical style, fitting in perfectly with the concept of the album. The songs have an immense emotional weight behind them, from the longing tone of leading track ‘Astronaut’ to the pop tragedy of ‘Oasis’ and anachronistic whimsy of ‘What’s the Use of Wond’rin’?’.’ The album truly feels like being immersed in the fictional Palmer’s persona, each song developing a particular character aspect. Palmer’s intense piano and jarring drums complement her vocals wonderfully. Unfortunately, there are a few flaws. While each ballad does somewhat complement the overall structure of the album’s narrative thrust, a few are somewhat forgettable, particularly the glacial ‘Strength Through Music’ and ‘The Point of it All’. These tracks are both haunting and gorgeous in their own right ‘- ‘Strength’ in particular is breath-taking ‘- but they merge into the sea of slow songs in the middle and end of the album. This leads to perhaps the strongest criticism of the album ‘- that it doesn’t quite focus entirely on being a piecemeal or holistic effort. Certain effects, such as the whispers at the end of some of the songs and the recurring themes among the tracks, seem to indicate a desire for it to be taken as a whole, but the pacing and placement of the songs on the album are a bit counter-intuitive to this goal. It is a minor nitpick, but a simple reshuffling of the song order would have benefitted the album greatly. Ultimately, Who Killed Amanda Palmer is a carpe diem story, exposed by the futility and waste of Palmer’s desires juxtaposed with her fragile mortality. As Palmer sings in ‘Astronaut’, ‘everybody’s sick for something that they can find fascinating / everyone but you and even you aren’t feeling well’.