A breath of fresh air. (The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls)

Member Name: jspage

Product:	The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls
Date:	13/05/09 (4 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Highly original with many excellent songs.

Disadvantages: Not to everyone's taste, particularly those who like something more commercial.

It is difficult to say what exactly comes to mind when trying to describe the Dresden Dolls. In interviews, they have described themselves as "Brechtian Punk Cabaret," a good description indeed.

The band consists of Amanda Palmer, who sings and plays piano and Brian Viglione, who plays the drums. The songs are very basic in structure, as most contain primarily of Amanda's voice, piano and drums. Occasionally, there is a guitar playing, or some interesting sound effects, but nothing more.

The record opens subtly with "Good Day," with the sound of a broken music box playing quietly. It is, needless to say, creepy, and sets up the tone for things to come.

The second song, "Girl Anachronism," in complete contrast, is a neurotic, unstable song that it highly relatable to anybody who has ever felt like they do not fit in the right place. Amanda spits out every lyric like fire which suits the manic pace of this song perfectly.

"Missed Me" is another quiet song that is reminiscent of a children's nursery rhyme. Because of this, the song could be (and often has been) interpreted as one about pedophilia, but, I think it is a song that has more to do with loneliness, paranoia, and resentment.

"Half Jack" is a haunting song; one of my favorites on the album. It remains simple in structure, but builds up to the grand finale, where Amanda screams for Jack.

"672" is a musical interlude with the single lyric "672" being repeated throughout. Even Amanda and Brian claim they do not know the meaning of the song, but it is nice for an occasional listen, and the piano part is beautiful.

"Coin Operated Boy" is the most commercial song on the album, and is delightfully fun, but it's also lonely. This is one of the standout songs on the record.

"Gravity" is a schmaltzy, sexy song where the protagonist explores her own faults, blaming them on other things. The second chorus about halfway through is a particular stroke of genius.

"Bad Habit" is one of my favorite songs on the record, but probably the most controversial, as it is a ballad to the euphoria found in self harm. Amanda has explained that it was inspired by her addiction to biting her nails, but the lyrics "happiness is just a gash away" could obviously be interpreted as cutting one's wrists. Some people love this song, some hate it.

"Perfect Fit" is another song about the feeling of inadequacy, but unique in style again. The lyrics in this song are very observant and intelligent- a list of contradictions ('I can clothe a continent, but I can't sew a stitch') that the protagonist feels trapped by.

"The Jeep Song" is an unusually sunny song in it's melody, and the subject matter about how after a break-up, the protagonist feels she sees her ex everywhere. Again, it's another song that many people will relate to. (Particularly the people of Boston, where apparently there are a lot of jeeps.)

The last two songs in the record I found the most difficult to interpret or like. They are both subtle, particularly "Slide-" a song about a young woman's sexual awakening. "Truce" is another controversial song, that parallels the 9/11 attacks with a breakup. Although not my favorites, they are still both worth a listen.

The Dresden Dolls debut album is a wonderful analysis of emotions and mind, but it does so without being emo or feeling sorry for itself. It is dark, self-depreciating, tongue in cheek and beautiful. This band is a breath of fresh air, and you should definitely give this album a go!

Summary: Dark, beautiful, funny, sexy....worth more than just one listen.