Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The mind of Alu

There's a buzzin' in my brain
I really can't explain
I think about it before they make me go to bed
There's a dream inside my soul
Don't wanna let it go
I talk about it to the friends inside my head
I wear my straitjacket at night
so someone can hold me tight
the blue one makes me sleepy
and then I feel alright
That's how Alu's newest album Lobotomy Sessions starts out. Yea, kind of creepy, isn't it? The next track is about falling in love with a casket salesman. Then there's the song about metrosexuals. File this one under...ummm...you've got me.

Beyond the odd choice of muses, looking at the music beneath the bizarrely offbeat lyrics reveals delicately crafted songs which touch upon classical, jazz, and goth influences. On top of that, it's got a middle-eastern exoticness to it as well. I guess the closest comparison I could make would be possibly to Tori Amos (especially her vocal qualities and the delicate precision of the notes) or Bjork, but honestly, this album goes beyond anything either of those women have produced. It's got a fantastical element to it that will transport you someplace quite unusual.

The album comes out today, and is the second from Alu. Did I mention how peculiar it is yet? Try listening to the following track, and if it kindles a stare at the circus side-show freak kind of fascination in you, check out the album.




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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm a little late to Alu's world, but I'm having fun exploring it now. I was totally captivated by songs like Circus Cosmos and and Buzzin’ in My Brain”. How can you not go for lines like, “I wear my straitjacket at night, so someone will hold me tight”? I'm not surprised at all the Tori Amos comparisons, but I am surprised at how few Kate Bush comparisons I've found, not to mention Joni Mitchell. I talk about Alu in the Echoesblog and I’ve got an interview with her there as well as a link to an Audio version of the interview. http://tinyurl.com/6lv24z