Album Spotlight: Who Killed Amanda Palmer

Who Killed Amanda Palmer? Is the 2008 debut solo effort from Amanda Palmer, the lead singer of the Dark Caberet duo The Dresden Dolls.

Written and recorded mostly in Nashville, Who Killed Amanda Palmer is a heavy reference to the Canadian show Twin Peaks, the TV series that revolved around who killed Laura Palmer.

Produced by Roadrunner Records - also the record label for The Dresden Dolls, Who Killed sees Palmer team up with Ben Folds, and features a range of different collaborations that not only includes Folds but Anne Clark, Zoe Keating and The Born Again Horny Men of Edinburgh.

For those who are fans of The Dresden Dolls, you’ll be thrilled to know that Palmer has not steered far from the Weimar-Style, Vaudeville music that has made The Dresdens so popular. In fact, many fans of Palmer will recognise songs from the album, as they’ve either been performed lived by the Dresdens or solo efforts that Palmer has floated online over the years.

‘The Point Of It All’ and ‘Blake Says’ are constant staples of Palmer’s live solo shows, while ‘Have To Drive’ has been performed by the Dresden’s live.

While Palmer is renown for her unique singing style, she has never fully been recognised for both her vocal talent and songwriting. However, Who Killed…allows her to do so. Produced by and recorded at Ben Folds’ studio, Palmer really puts everything of herself into this album, resulting in lush instrumentation and signally her maturity as a songwriter, performer and artist.

Palmer has never apologised for her lyrics, and is not afraid to tell it how it is. This album is no different, as she explores rape (‘Oasis’), dysfunctional families (‘Runs In The Family’) and broken relationships (‘Astronaut’ .

Many of these themes will again be familiar to Dresden fans, as Palmer enjoys looking at the uglier side of the world, and ‘Runs In The Family’  is remiescent of the Dresden’s ‘Girl Anachronism’.

While there are the occasional ballad on the album, such as ‘Ampersand’ and ‘Have To Drive’, they are far and few between. Each ballad’s style differs- ‘Amersand’ comes across as a personal piece with nothing more than piano and vocals while ‘Have To Drive’ is pounding pianos, strings, a choir and Palmer in full force.

Strengths on the album include ‘Have To Drive’, ‘Guitar Hero’, ‘Blake Says’ and ‘Oasis’.

For a first solo effort this is fairly impressive, and filled with such passion and raw energy that you can’t help but be left impressed.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best albums to come out of 2008.