Amanda Palmer
Performs the popular hits of Radiohead on her magical ukulele
Independent

In April this year, Amanda Palmer took to her computer keyboard with renewed vigor.

Though rather than compose a masterpiece for an upcoming album, the singer of US band The Dresden Dolls wrote about freedom and relief.

After a two-year battle, the singer had finally been released from her contract with record label, Roadrunner Records.

It turns out that since the early 2000s, Palmer had been struggling with the lack of creative control over her music. It had come to a head, but now she was free. She could record and release whatever she liked.

This EP is Palmer’s first release as a free artist.

Accompanied by her ‘magical’ ukulele, Palmer has released a seven-track EP covering Radiohead songs.

After you get past the novelty of the ukulele the album is quite good.

While it should be little surprise that Palmer could pull off an album like this with her theatrical past and over the top antics with The Dresden Dolls, when it comes to a band like Radiohead, the chance of failure is still pretty high.

Palmer’s take on ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ is simple yet gentle and very sweet.

The ukulele is working overtime on ‘High and Dry’, with the deft strokes of a piano peppering the track beautifully.

The vocal range of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke really tests Palmer on ‘No Surprises’. She almost loses it on the low vocals in the early part of the track though does well to gather herself. While a lot of depth is lost in the translation, it is an impressive effort.

‘Idiotqeue’ was always going to be a difficult one to cover with the complicated and complex multi layers. It’s a good effort though probably the most patchy of the covers.

Palmer really nailed the cover of ‘Creep’. Her voice really responded to the emotion of the song with the ukulele offering a strangely subtle accompaniment.

There is no doubt this album is a little out there. Yet isn’t that the point?

For an artist who has spent close to a decade without creative control, she has produced and released work that I very much doubt any major record label would have touched without losing her passion or intent.

Tags | Amanda Palmer, review