The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia

How does one define the Dresden Dolls? The pairing of vocalist/pianist Amanda Palmer, and guitarist/drummer Brian Viglione have been fan favorites for years, playing a type of music that defies description. Whether you call it Punk Cabaret or Gothic Vaudeville, or even Hardcore Torch Songs, their style of music is majestic, melodramatic and just a little bit maudlin.

Dark, Majestic Vaudeville And Stripped-Down Rock Tunes

I was really apprehensive about hearing the new Dresden Dolls album, fearing that this dynamic duo might hit a sophomore slump. Their self-titled debut was such an amazing album, I was afraid that any followup would pale in comparison.

It turns out, I had nothing to worry about.

Their sound has changed just a bit. There is no "Coin-Operated Boy" on this album. There's no "Girl Anachronism". This album is really not the same as their last, but it's not so drastic a change that it will alienate their hardcore fans, either. Yes, Virginia picks up where the last album left off.

Don't fret, though - their old sound isn't gone. The Dolls have held onto elements of the punk cabaret. Some of their songs are in the stylings you're used to. These include "My Alcoholic Friends" and "Mandy Goes To Med School" , a darkly comic song about back alley abortion clinics.

But the duo has expanded their sound on some of the songs, or contracted it, rather. They've stripped down some tunes, like "Backstabber" and "Dirty Business", which are rock songs in a style we're not used to hearing from the Dolls, but they still showcase the percussive talents of Palmer and Viglione in a simpler, yet no less effective style.

Lyrics That Are Clever Without Being Pretentious

As on the last album, the lyrics are as big a pleasure as the music. Palmer's words run the gamut, dripping with cynicism on tracks like "Dirty Business",

Lift your hats off to the checkout girls with tattooed backs
They'd make an angel's skin crawl
If you ask them for assistance,
There's an even chance you'll get a number

to silly, cleverly phrased lines, like on "My Alcoholic Friends", when she croons,

I'm taking back the number of the beast
Cause 6 is not a pretty number
8 or 3 are definitely better.

Yes, Virginia is definitely a musical work greater than the sum of its parts. It's as majestic as a rock opera at times, and a straight-up good rock record at others. It's proof that there is more to this pair than the punk cabaret shtick, as well as recognition that punk cabaret will always be part of the Dresden Dolls, even if they sing otherwise, such as when they close album with "Sing":

Life is no cabaret
We don't care what you say
We're inviting you anyway.

Whether you're a fan of melodrama, or just a fan of good music, it's an invitation you should accept.