“Who Killed Amanda Palmer,” an inspiring and heart-wrenching, yet bitterly funny album is the debut solo effort from the Dresden Dolls’ singer, Amanda Palmer. The album is loaded with the heartfelt angst of mistakes in love, sex, drugs, and the desire to finish it all. It is a pleasant surprise to hear the steady progression of the album.
“Astronaut (A Short History of Nearly Nothing),” an intense yet bittersweetreminder of love’s lacking qualities, starts off the record. Desires are strong in this fast-paced exclamation of rough passion, and Palmer’s vocal quality is desparate and needing. Her voice is comforting in it own way, husky and smooth all at the same time. The powerful anthem begins the album with a punch of angst.
Elsewhere, “Ampersand” is melodic and dismal: a gorgeous and winding piano melody weaves through the fragile song. Palmer consciously decides that she would rather live alone than be stuck on “one side of an ampersand,” always thought of as a unit, stuck in a relstionship and forever attached. But the simple music builds into a rage as she rants about lost arguments and confusion. The raw power behind her voice is awe-inspiring, and the simple beauty of the song is overwhelming as it ends on a note of powerful conviction.
Later in the album, in commemoration of school shootings, Palmer sings “Strength in Music.” The song unravels like the bomb Palmer references, slowly ticking its way to an almost silent conclusion. Upon the song’s beginning, a grisly man’s voice contemplates how he saw a sign, from the most subliminal of images, to create a bomb. The slow, haunting piano only adds to the gloomy aura of imminent doom set over the eerie music. The madman is a bomb, and he is about to be set off.
After a long line up of aural depression, “What’s the Use of Wondrin’ (Featuring Annie Clark)” presents an odd contrast to the darkness of the album- a twinkly and slow Broadway style number. Beauty comes in the simplicity of tinkling bells and the operatic voice of Annie Clark that Palmer matches flawlessly. The album begins to turn around, as hope builds. Clark, crooning in her lovely voice, knows that while tings may seem bad, everything will turn out okay.
A drastic mood change occurs within the CD as soon as “Oasis” begins. The poppy, somewhat irritating song has undoubtedly shallow lyrics. High back-up vocals and steady drumbeats complete the cheesiness of the number, which sounds not unlike a Katy Perry single (but with more class). But it does show another side of Palmer. Amidst all of her confusion and aggravation at life, the song shows her sitting down and going along for the ride, knowing that no matter how bad things got, she would always be able to bounce back up.
“The Point of It All” and “Another Year” are powerful conclusions to the album that leave a lasting impression. “The Point of It All” is truly tear-jerking: gentle piano hums behind Palmer’s beautiful vocals. “Another Year” is a stand-out as well. Palmer reflects on her life, filled with so much loathing, self-doubt, and hurt. She seems to be contemplating suicide, but then remembers that she’s “only twenty-six years old.” The crack of her voice on that line shows that she is trying to show that she’s very human, just like all of us. In this beautifully performed song, Palmer comes to the realization that she has so much life left to live, and that she shouldn’t end it in a way as cowardly as suicide.
Despite a few somewhat forgettable songs, Amanda Palmer’s album is strong, thought provoking, and powerful. Piano-highlighted (due to Palmer’s role as Dresden Dolls pianist) songs reign supreme. Most of all, the album reminds us that we are all human, and we all make mistakes. We just have to carry on, and remember that mistakes can be corrected.
