On July 15, Cooking Vinyl released Amanda Palmer’s new album recorded with her father, Jack. It’s called, You Got Me Singing and it’s her first fully patron-funded album. The record is completely covers and full of slow tunes. While not her usual style, most have a beauty to them that will have you singing as well.
All of the songs on this album have a folk or country feel. There’s a lot of piano and acoustic guitar, with the occasional ukulele. Jack’s deep voice is reminiscent of Johnny Cash in his older years and Amanda’s voice is beautiful on the softer pieces. You can almost picture her singing lullabies for her baby. However, she still has the rasp that makes her music unique.
The songs range from traditional to ‘90’s pop. A true highlight is “Black Boys on Mopeds,” a Sinead O’Connor tune. While it’s made somewhat less haunting with the use of ukulele, it’s still poignant and pretty. “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” has a fun use of characters between verses and “Wynken, Blynken & Nod” brings back childhood memories. The only real downsides to the album are “Skye Boat Song,” which feels blunted and not at all ethereal like it should be, and Jack’s straining voice on “I Love You So Much.” However, Amanda still sounds beautiful on the duet, so it leaves the record on a high note.
Overall, this is an interesting album. While I prefer Amanda doing her own pieces with a bit of glitz and glamour, hearing her interpretation of these covers is a new, and not altogether disagreeable, experience. I love that she brought her father in for duets. It gives us a view into their loving relationship. If you’re a fan of Amanda Palmer and don’t mind a set of slow songs, give this a try. It will be an enjoyable encounter.