As half of 'caberet-punks' (that's largely a way to avoid saying emo) The Dresden Dolls, Amanda Palmer was responsible for in retrospect one of my favourite albums in recent years, Yes, Virginia. An album that unflinchingly delved into the dark side of human nature and behaviour, it matched its insights with a black sense of humour and many a theatrical flourish, whilst stretching the limits of the piano/vocals/drums format in ferocious style.
Palmer's solo debut was originally meant to be an album of stripped back songs defined by lack of drums, but with slightly unlikely producer Ben Folds on board she ended up stretching her musical styles in a number of different ways. "Runs in the Family" sounds just like one of the band's punkish blasts with added strings. On the other hand there's the self-explanatory "Guitar Hero", the blaring horns of "Leeds United" (which takes theatricality above and beyond while Amanda stands in Sainsburys counting her change), and a ghostly cover of Rodgers' and Hammerstein's "What's the Use of Wond'rin?" which calls in St. Vincent for more fitting vocals.
All of which makes for a less intense and relentless listen than either Dresden Dolls album, but that's very much a relative thing as we are still in dark territory throughout. "Oasis" ties teenage abortion to Britpop fandom and the breeziest, catchiest song of the record - probably the most uncomfortable thing she's written.
"Blake Says" has social inadequacy dead on ('Blake says he is sorry he got through to me/If it's ok he'll call right back and talk to the machine') and treats it with a sympathetic resignation that's particularly heartbreaking. "Strength Through Music" is just plain spooky, starting 'Locked in his bedroom/He saw the world/A web of answers and cumshot girls" over ponderous piano chords and slowly floating away into icy numbness.
All three of those songs illustrate the other main change from the past, which is an increasing move away from the first person and into inhabiting other characters, the better to explore all the other fucked up people out there, I guess.
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