Bird song

I haven't done enough music reviews here, and given how much music I listen to and the varied genres I go through, that seems a little odd. So here it goes, a review of the senior thesis of a Carnegie Mellon student.

The Things That Airplanes Do by Anna Vogelzang (2007) is someone I started talking to after I started the first-ever Dresden Dolls fan community online. Her music falls into a sound found somewhere between acoustic/piano and jazz with the themes usually centered around places she's been and the weather there and what she happened to be thinking or observing during those times. I have seen her play everywhere from cafes to churches, and she is goddamn talented. The Things That Airplanes Do is her second studio album after her first, Some Kind of Parade--which I loved--and her two live albums, Basics and Sounds--which I loved. As can be expected, when I found Miss Vogelzang's newest album on iTunes, I was looking to listening to it very much.

The first thing I noticed, from having been listening to her for about four years before the newest album was released, is that she's grown up a lot. Her vocal style is a lot more fluid and works a lot better with the music--not to say that her earlier work was bad, but this album seemed to be a lot more sophisticated. Opening with songs like Hexagon, Pittsburgh, and Philly give it a really, REALLY strong acoustic based open. July starts with a nice piano and then sparks up to a nice jazz beat. Family Band is one of my favorite tracks on the album, with simple vocals, delicate piano, and outstanding writing. The Kitchen has really great music and vocals for the centerpiece of the LP. The rest of the album gets a little weaker and less memorable, but they still give you a great feeling of relaxation and intrigue. This may even be my fault, for never being in the correct setting to really pay attention to the second half of the album, but the writing and music doesn't get weaker, just the attention you give to the songs. It's kind of like when you know what songs on an album you like, and after you know those songs, you just skip through the rest, even though they are also good songs.

Her writing is one of my favorite parts of her music, with songs like Hexagon, Pittsburgh, and especially Family Band. On top of writing the songs and signing, she also plays guitar and piano for her own songs. The other musical parts of the band are back-up players but as I have seen Anna live, I know she can play most any of these songs even without the accompaniment. That, and I can't find out who actually played on the album and I don't want to give credit to the wrong people--but fear not: you're all good at what you do too.

Anna Vogelzang is currently residing in Chicago, and if you ever have the chance to see her perform live I urge you greatly to do so. Her website is theanna.com, so go and check her tour dates. You will not be disappointed.

-Evan "Dez" O'Connor