"Yes Virginia" The Dresden Dolls

Amanda Palmer (lead vocals/piano)
Brian Viglione (drums)

I have heard the Dresden Dolls described as a “Brechtian Punk Cabaret” band and I suppose if you can wrap your head around that description then it would be a pretty good way of looking at their first two albums. Yes Virginia though, is different. It is more polished and easily their most mainstream album. The lead singer and writer, Amanda Palmer, seems to move away from the angry femininity and almost spoken word remorsefulness of The Dresden Dolls and A is for Accident, choosing instead a much more subdued, lyrical, and I think much more intimate album. She seems more satisfied mixing ballads with catchy tunes about back alley abortions in “Mandy Goes to Med School”, unexpected motherhood in “Sex Changes”, and the strangely endearing morning masturbation song “First Orgasm”. While the change is nice and definitely distinguishes this album from the last two; it is her solemn, heart breaking, ballads that are the real treat in Yes Virginia. For the first time, we get to hear Amanda Palmer’s range and her ability to just wrap you up in some very aching beautiful music. In songs like “Delilah”, “Me and the Minibar”, and “Sing”, not only do we see her talent as a songwriter, she stretches her voice and fills the room with a haunting sadness that feels too real to disappear and reappear in four minute segments. This is the kind of album that is best listened to with a bottle of expensive sipping alcohol and a fuzzy memory of that one person you’d like to forget all about. While obviously not the feel good, take your girl to the beach, bobbing your head while driving down the road, Summer music, this is definitely one to pick up and listen to when the mood strikes you.

Music Review Index