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Liam Singer:
The Empty Heart of the Chameleon
Now and then I make an impulse buy. About two years ago, I bought a movie because something about it intrigued me even though it was a small independent film that I had heard nothing about. There was just something that lured me in and told me I had to take it home with me. After I watched the film I had mixed feelings on exactly what position to take. The packaging is what got me to bring it home, the story was inventive and fresh, the actors played their parts well, but the way it was put together just didnt work. They applied a highly saturated black and white effect to the entire movie and chopped it all up, but I had no idea why they employed either of these techniques. Neither the effects nor the mixed-up sequencing added to the movie but rather made it boring because the story didnt lend itself well to these effects and it almost took too much effort to watch. They were reaching for the stars, trying to be artsy for no reason other than hoping that it would enhance the film but instead just ended up tarnishing what could have had some serious potential. This is quite similar to how I felt after listening to Liam Singers debut album The Empty Heart of the Chameleon. This debut album is largely focused on piano with lightly sung vocals that float nicely above the keys in a hushed, Elliott Smith manner. Singer is obviously an accomplished pianist but sadly, not a diverse one, at least not on this record. A good portion of the album does not include vocals, and it is almost hard to tell which song is playing as they are all quite similar in movement and tone. The somber nature of the album has a saddening quality to it. The songs seem centered around death, and the music has a dark undertone that lingers like a heavy weight. In Between My Lips, Which Did Sing we hear the beautiful operatic voice of Michelle Brandone. While I welcomed the slight change of pace, the underlying music still moves with the same air as the rest of the songs, except that at this point, it begins to smell a bit stale. There is definitely talent and a fresh perspective on musical styles that should be explored here. Singer is reaching to bridge the gap between rock and classical but is still working on the details of how to fashion such a structure. I can only hope that he continues to push forward with construction and build something that not only looks appealing, but is also structurally sound.
This album can be purchased at Tell-All Records About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
