(Roadrunner)

Not so much a rebirth as a few twists on some old themes

Without diminishing the role of drummer Brian Viglione, you could argue that the charismatic Amanda Palmer is the Dresden Dolls – she writes the material, then sings it and plays piano in such a dark neo-cabaret way that confirms she’s clearly the centre of attention. So why the need for a solo album, her first in a decade? Especially when some of these songs received their first airing under the Dresden Dolls banner. Well, you get a hint from the fact that fellow piano-player Ben Folds helps produce here, with guests like The Dead Kennedys’ East Bay Ray and St. Vincent’s Annie Clark. Even more telling are orchestrations put together with the aid of Paul Buckmaster, along with cello-player Zoe Keating. It all adds a veneer of lushness without taking away from Palmer’s kinky intensity. With a title meant to echo the mystery in Twin Peaks but provocative in its own way (there’s even a macabre obituary dated 1965 on my copy), the dozen songs veer from the eerie, sparse, echoey flow of Strength Through Music to the eccentric pound of Guitar Hero. Not so far from the Dresden Dolls then but more than enough differences to justify a solo tag.

***½

BILL HOLDSWORTH
 

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