Search - Marianne Nowottny :: Manmade Girl- Songs and Instrumentals

Mind-blowingly fantastic; hands down the best album of 2001!

edtesq | Orlando, FLA | 07/25/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow! And double wow. Triple wow! Wow to the infinite power. I don't even know how to begin to praise this album. Somehow, this creative, wondrous teenage girl (the test tube baby of TORI AMOS, DIAMANDA GALAS, SUN RA, NICO,and the ladies of RASPUTINA) managed to create music that transcends categorization. From the muck of music produced (ok, usually only the lip-synching rights are credited to teen pop stars) by her "peers" (only in age, not ability or maturity) emerges this complex, dreamy, intense, and sometimes even fun record. And a double CD no less. This Marianne sure has a lot of moxie. 18 years old and a double CD as her second solo, full-length recording? Features in such diverse publications as The Wire, The New York Times, and Tiger Beat? This girl is going places. Fortunately, as with all of Ms. Nowottny's work, she'll take you with her. And, to quote Dr. Seuss, "Oh, the places you'll go!" The first album of this 2 CD set, replete with Marianne's lush, bluesy, mature-beyond-her-years, melodic voice, starts with a somewhat catchy cut titled "Fountain of Youth," which could easily be a single for her, if the radio-listening public could stomach something so simultaneously intelligent and, well, real.The plethora of songs on this wondrous album carry a theme of paranoia, mistrust of the artificial world that feeds upon voyeurism, technology, efficiency, machinery, and the human belief of superiority above all other creatures. Panopticon, the second (not the first, as it is listed...) track on disc one, references the architectural structure that allows a guard or central figure of authority to see without being seen, a format utilized not only in prisons, but also in hospitals and schools. This idea of constant surveillance, or at least the potential to be constantly watched, brings about political questions and deep concepts that no other young artist could even dream, much less think, to explore. Yet, as serious as this album can be, Marianne also recognizes that her songs are meant for music lovers, not just political theorists. Her original compositions are undeniably listenable, with a range of voice and instrumental melodies, sounds, and rhythms. Some are hummable, one (Bourbon Prince) has a sample of a disco drum beat thrown in as a catchy tease, and Sweet and Low has a factory atmosphere created by a scratchy, Frankenstein-esque drill that leads me to nickname it the "Dr. Giggles" track. As fabulous as the lyrics and vocals are on disc one, listeners, even the most skeptical, are in for a treat with the instrumental disc. Without her enthralling vocals, one is forced to focus upon her complex, unconventional compositions that prove just how much this New Jersey chick has developed as a musician since her debut album, Afraid of Me, which was recorded when she was only sixteen.Smart, sexy, sultry, super, satisfying, sensational, surreal, splendid.....this original, genre-defying CD is certainly worth a listen, and deserves every positive S adjective you can imagine. Positively smashing."