Album Review: Amanda Palmer - There Will Be No Intermission

Fans of Amanda (Fucking) Palmer will not only know she’s had this newbie on the go, but will have heard/seen/experienced/possibly even financed much of it already. Ten big tracks (often five to eight minutes in length) plus another ten mini-musical moments, There Will Be No Intermission gives an update on life over the last few years, including life, death and the inevitability of US politics.

It’s hard to grasp a favourite as this too will no doubt be personal, but it’s got to be the blatant honesty of A Mother’s Confession (funny, scarily accurate!), Judy Blume (piano and nostalgia = gorgeous) and Voicemail For Jill (heartbreaking, lovely). There are others that also demand a lot of the listener (Bigger On The Inside takes some attention), as does Death Thing. It’s not that these aren’t worth it – far from it – but they're the kind of thing to absorb when you’ve got some dedicated time rather than to have on in the background while doing something else. For lovers of Palmer’s Dresden Dolls sound there’s also The Ride and Drowning In The Sound, which are deceptively simple at times and damn entertaining despite the depth of what each covers.

Don’t pause,  there are no breaks here – but it’s well worth the trip.