Music Banter - Machine's Monthly Musical Madness

Album Review: Imagene Peise - Atlas Eets Christmas

So here it is the first review of Christmas month. This one comes from Flaming Lips project Imagene Peise, but before I get into the heart of the review I need to do some background info on this one because it may be a little confusing. As I said earlier this is a Flaming Lips project under the alias Imagene Peise a mythical middle eastern piano player, who was only able to make on recording, and this album is the result of it. No mistake this IS a Christmas album, but seeing as it is a Flaming Lips christmas albums there are some weird things about it. It is a record that uses traditional Christmas songs like Silent Night, Silver bells, among others, using piano as a lead instrument with a slight echo, an upright bass, and middle eastern sounding synths. It comes across initially as an odd little project, but upon multiple listens it reveals itself as a beautiful well done original Christmas album. Well now that you have an idea what this and what it's about, on to the meat of the review.

The album starts off with Winter Wonderland which after a very hypnotic psychedelic opening moves into a very swing styled piano playing the main melody with a high synth providing a backdrop to it. Some bass pops in and then suddenly the drums hop in as well giving it a very full sound to it. All this drops out as quickly as it started eventually just ending with the piano and synths we started, as well as some fake strings to add effect. Beautiful way to start an album. Next we have Silver Bells which starts us off with the eastern tinged synth and leads into piano, with lightly brushed drums far in the background. Despite the jazzy feel of the album it does have greater sense of psychedelia than one might expect even if it is done in ass do more minimalist style. After the view Silver Bells we get The Christmas Laughing Waltz (Including Jingle Bells) it follows the same formula as the last two songs, but that's okay because the sound is so fresh and unfamiliar that it still feels like something you haven't heard often in a Christmas album. Another astounding thing about the record is just how well it flows from track to another the production is done perfectly gives in hisses to sound like it came out when the lips said it did, but also giving such cohesion that it's hard to not pay attention to it. Next on the track list is Silent Night again we have beautiful jazzy piano playing by Lips member Steven Drozd (oh I'm sorry I meant Imagene Peise), with added instrumentation from the rest of the Lips. Much of the album is fronted by Imagene (a.k.a Drozd) using the Lips as the backing really does focus on the fact that this was "her" record with session musicians just coming together to form this album, well they play their character well. The next song is Atlas Eets Christmas which ends side A of the album and brings the first real consequential change to the instrumentation, it is the first with singing from Imagene (vocals are really provided by Coyne) it brings a needed diversity to end the side.

Side B starts with Do You Hear What I Hear? it's the farthest arrangement from the original using using a echoed piano to create create a backdrop while the synth takes the lead for much of of the song providing a melody similar to the one we know and love, only changing up near the middle with a short minimal piano solo. Next comes Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, it comes back to arrangement that made me fall in love with it in the first place. The beautiful piano, the woozy eastern synth, and short upright bass interjections, and droney sitar (something I forgot to mention). White Christmas is is my personal favorite from the album, while not going to far from the tradition of the original it provides a new fresh sound that song so desperately needs, especially with the lounge-piano's, near Latin styled cymbal playing, and cool laid back upright bass. Frosty The Snowman is nothing all to substantial although it fits the album nicely, although I do like the addition of more very fake sounding strings something that when I hear I instantly think The Soft Bulletin. Christmas Kindness Song comes next and is the second song to include Peise (a.k.a Coyne) singing, the singing on the album is very muffled and uses some electronic effect on it fit to make the voice waver and nearly disguises the voice. The final song song of the album is called The Christmas Song. This one starts off with the fake strings and leads into the now seemingly normal instrumentation that fills most of the album luckily it still does not feel worn and upon repeated listens comes out as not a gimmick, but truly a new way of approaching the Christmas songs you'll hear on your classic compilations every year. It's an album that deserves a listen, and demands a place on you classic Christmas album shelf along with Frank Sinatra's, Charlie Brown Christmas and many others. Well I'll let you decide that...

Rating: Must Listen

Favorite Tracks: Winter Wonderland, Silent Night, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Atlas Eets Christmas, White Christmas, and The Christmas Song

Least Favorite Tracks: Frosty The Snowman, and Christmas Laughing Waltz