The Dresden Dolls are one of my all time favorite bands. I love the interesting combination of piano and drums (every now and then you'll get another instrument in there). Amanda Palmer is the beautiful vocalist/pianist in this duet. Brian Viglione is the genius behind the drums. This is there only album to date, and it is a good one. I've been a Dresden Dolls fan for over a year now, but I’ve listened to this album in its entirety multiple times. I will now proceed with a track by track:
1. Good Day
A wonderful opening to an album. It starts with piano and a toy piano with a little static in the background. It repeats itself a couple times, and then starts the actual song. The first verse is mostly acoustic guitar. It builds up into the chorus, which is more acoustic with some piano. Then the second verse blasts in, this is where Brian starts on the drums and the acoustic is replaced with an electric. Amanda's voice gets more powerful and the lyrics get more ironic and powerful. I'm not to sure, but I think this song is about a break-up, giving or receiving, I don't know. There is a part where there is an electric guitar solo, which is very strange as far as The Dresden Dolls go. I've learned to play it, and its one of my favorite things to play. This is a great track. 5/5
2. Girl Anachronism
Another excellent track. The piano build up followed by "ONE TWO THREE FOUR" is just mesmerizing. This song is mostly a random, fast paced song about Amanda's flaws. She was a C-Section baby, she cuts, and she is just a wild girl. I don't know what "anachronism" means, or if its a real word, but that doesn't matter. She plays two people in this song: Amanda, The Doctor. Amanda sings her problems and The Doctor is making up excuses for her rambunctious behavior. It's another one of my favorites. 5/5
3. Missed Me
This ones rather boring. I like the story and the music, but it gets a wee bit repetitive around the 3rd verse. It's mostly the same thing played through the whole song. It's not bad in any way, but I want variety in my songs. It's about an older man "kissing" a girl of a much younger age. He gets put in jail for it, but all the girl wants is his love. I like the end when her voice is dubbed over and she's singing a couple parts back and forth. 3.5/5
4. Half Jack
The first song I heard of this album. I absolutely adore this song. It's incredibly deep, depressing, and motivational at the same time. The first few times I listened to it, I had to strain to hear her voice because it's so quiet. Then it gets a little louder during the "ah ah" part...then it gets quiet again. The chorus comes in, and it's simply beautiful. She singing in the background while she's singing the actual chorus and the drums fit in well. It's a beautiful moment. The outro gives me goose bumps when she's singing and screaming "See Jack Run, Run Jack Run". The only translation I can get from this song is a sex change. If someone wants to clarify for me that'd be cool. 5/5
5. 672
It’s a 1:24 song. It's short. It has this nice, calm flow to it. She just sings "672" over and over. Then it gets a little louder and she just lets a piercing note. Then it gets quieter. Finally it ends with "Someday they'll find out about you too"...the end. It's good for filler 3.5/5
6. Coin Operated Boy
This song is the only song that’s gotten radio play where I live. For the longest time, I thought this was about a sex toy. Then I listened it from a more open perspective and I was proven wrong. It's about a boy that'll do anything for her. It's a really good song, but it gets annoying after a while. I normally only listen to it because the bridge gets stuck in my head. It’s a melodic combination of piano and toy piano. The drums kick in, and then it gets heavier and meaner, and heavier, and meaner. I love it! Then it goes into this bit of sound effects, piano and Brian's army style drumming. It's good...not great. 4/5
7. Gravity
One of the best "song" songs on the album. The opening riff is a really fascinating, catchy one. In the verse, I can't tell if its piano or a bass guitar there’s also an acoustic playing a chord every now and then. Regardless, it's a really well written song. The build up to the chorus is fantastic "obviously that’s what I’d be doing...RIGHT!" Then the chorus contains singing, and in the background it’s almost a robotic voice singing along. The bridge, is where the Dolls normally shine, this song is no exception. It's a bunch of voices: ones reciting the alphabet, ones shouting orders, ones singing, and another’s doing something else. The outro is probably the catchiest on the album where it builds up to a climax...and remains there until the end of the track. 5/5
8. Bad Habit
A song that would get stuck in my head when I was depressed. It's has a very fast, frantic pace to it. There's no doubt about what this songs about
: cutting. The rim hits on Brian's snare partially make this song. I never really noticed it until I watched the Paradise DVD but it gives the song a good rhythm. The piano also goes really well with this song. I can't say much more about this song. It's just really fast and I like that from The Dresden Dolls. 5/5
9. The Perfect Fit
A simply beautiful song. The opening with the toy piano is stunning. Once again, Amanda's voice is very soft, but it makes its point. It's about how Amanda isn't perfect, she's doing her best and that's good enough for her. In the beginning it's mostly piano, and it goes very well with her deep voice. She sings a chorus and another verse. The lyrics are some of the best on the album, "I can't trap a mouse, but I can pet a cat, no... I'm really serious, i'm really very good at that." Then the second chorus comes in along with the drums and it starts to build up again. Then it goes back into the piano/voice verse. The last part is great, the drums another appearance to finish out the song. The outro is brilliant "If you can end this hell-o I love you won't you tell me your name hello" 5/5
10. The Jeep Song
It's an upbeat poppy song. At first it seems like filler...but it's not. It's a well written, well played song about a boyfriend that's more interested in his Jeep than his girl. The opener is sang and spoken over. Then it breaks into the verse and it gets it's poppy tone. The song has this "bah da bah bah bah" thing that just makes me happy. This song, I'M SURE has a bass guitar. I don't know what it is about this song that makes me happy...it's supposed to be a rather depressing song. But it's so happy. When Brian makes his voice heard is one of the "bah da da's", It's amazing. 5/5
11. Slide
It has this slow, eerie, depressing quality to it. The words go exactly with the piano. Her voice is layered over itself. It's just a dry, sad song about what I believe to be a girl’s loss of her youth. There's a part with this very quiet, higher pitch singing behind piano...it hypnotizes me. Around 2:10 the snare rolls come in and you think it's building up into a happier beat...and then...no...it goes back into the beautiful verse that makes this song what it is. Musically, this song is stunning; lyrically this song is even better. There's a part where it goes quiet, then it comes back with, "don't worry, I've got you" repeated over and over.... then it gets loud with "THE ORANGEMAN'S GOT YOU" The first verse is repeated once again sang in the most depressing voice ever. Then it's over. 5/5
12. Truce
This is a truly inspirational song. It runs at about eight and a half minutes long. There's 3 different parts to it. To start, the first part: it's a very melodic piano with some upbeatish singing about a breakup and how things are going to be split up. The drums kick in a little and then some stringed instruments are brought in to add more volume and passion into this masterpiece. The second part gives me the image of climbing up a never-ending circular staircase. It's a more powerful part with harder drumming with semi-monotonous vocals. They get angrier and then go back into the first part with different lyrics. It's a fabulous transition. It gets hard again and repeats the second part and adds some more onto it. The third part is a fast paced clash of vocals, drums, and violins. It's gets furious and the words end on "I'M ON TO YOU" it finishes off with a mess of music that just go perfectly with one another. It comes down its slope and everything stops. There is silence for a good amount of time then a chilling voice says, "Amanda, you're telling me a fairy tale"...and that...is the end. 5/5
There are definitely more high parts than low on this album. There are only a couple of songs that I don't like to listen to. All of the songs have their own little emotion to them, be it anger, happiness, or sadness. Every bit of this album has the potential to be a classic. The best part of this is, they're not a mainstream band. If you like them, and appreciate their musical genius, you can say that without being conformist. Their one of my favorite bands, and for good reason. This album is a masterpiece.
