J's Top Ten EA Tracks

Because I am currently in the middle of a complete obsession with Emilie Autumn, I thought I'd try and choose my ten favourite songs by this legendary gothic mad-girl. I love everything she has ever done, so it will be really hard to narrow it down to such a small number!

I had an enjoyable Emilie-rave with Terra the other day, and so I thought it might be an idea to make a blog-post about EA's music anyway.

Note: these are my favourite EA tracks at this one time, and I'm sure it won't be long before they change again!

So, here goes, in no particular order...

1) Opheliac

This has been one of my favourite EA songs for ages. When I first heard the album Opheliac, this opening track was the one that immediately stood out to me. I cannot fault it. Every time I listen to it, I feel an emotional reaction. When I put it on I want to scream along with the chorus, hair flying wildly. It is just BEAUTIFUL. Its structure is mind-blowing: the subtle harpsichord entrance is rather ambiguous -- either an upbeat or a melancholy song could follow it -- and the strings buried beneath the chorus are absolutely sublime, particularly contrasted with the power of the lyrics. Throw in a few lines from Shakespeare's Hamlet, a few industrial beats and a poem about girls in society and you have a real masterpiece within EA's body of work.

2) Liar

Liar is a track that becomes better with each listening. It's an incredibly gutsy song, and I've discovered (today, in fact!) that when I'm angry there is literally no better song to help me. I read somewhere that EA intended this song to be related to by any fan who has ever had the urge to scream "LIAR!" in someone's face, and I think most of us can relate to that. This is a fabulous song because Emilie combines her furious violin-playing, screaming and heavy industrial beats with lyrics that still manage to be poetic. I'm also really enjoying the four mixes of Liar on EA's Liar/Dead is the New Alive EP. My favourite one is probably Angelspit's Medical Mix, which I'm rather addicted to. Excellent stuff.

3) Misery Loves Company

It sounds like it's going to be depressing, but actual this song really cheers me up! It's so much fun to sing along with, particularly the bridge: "Do I need you? Yes and no. Do I want you? Maybe so." When it's performed live, the Crumpets incorporate umbrellas into the dancing, and it's all rather fun. There's something quite liberating in the idea of all these crazy inmates prancing about on stage appreciating each others' misery. And it's OK, because we're all different!

4) 4 o'Clock

This is another EA track that I have listened to over and over without getting bored in the slightest. The tune is simple, haunting and beautiful. The industrial beats are spine-tingling. The subject-matter is compelling; indeed, in The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls Emilie writes about her experiences of living with bipolar disorder and the constant state of waking up at four in the morning when entering into a manic or a depressive phase. Without being vague, this song sounds like EA's book feels. They compliment each other really well. It's such an amazing song, and when it was performed live--attached to Best Safety Lies in Fear--I thought I was going to die from being overwhelmed with its sheer brilliance!

5) Chambermaid (Space Mix)

I love Enchant, because of its beautiful classical violin combined with gorgeous lyrics, but I REALLY love this mix of one of its stand-out tracks. How can you make an EA track more exhilarating? Mix it up! I love how it builds, and offers nearly seven minutes of high-speed Elizabethan epic-win. I love how it starts with one of my favourite lines, "You have no hold over me," and finishes with one of my favourite lines, "Turn around before I have to see this face I once adored." It's a really polished, faultless mix. I love it so much! xD

6) Dead is the New Alive (Manipulator Mix by Dope Stars Inc.)

I love the original, of course, but this is a mix that, in my opinion, improves on the ordinary version. It adds real power and depth to the song, and anyone who has seen EA live will want to shout "FIGHT!" in the appropriate places. It's a fantastic mix, it suits any mood, and it's full of guts. I have no more to add on the subject!

7) Ever

Given that I generally prefer EA's heavy industrial stuff, it may seem surprising that I'm an enormous fan of this long, sultry piano ballad. I think the piano is just beautiful, and the verse that begins quietly and heart-wrenchingly with "Well I could paint your portrait if I never saw you again" melts me into the ground every single time. I guess the hopeless romantic in me loves the line "I never told you I needed you, darling, like a rose needs the rain." I make no apologies for my occasionally soppy tendencies! Emilie's voice is on particularly good form on this song, and the piano is beautiful, and it's just generally lovely. I like the bit in the booklet of Enchant where EA explains why "ever" is such a beautiful word. Brilliant stuff. :)

8) Let The Record Show

This is a ridiculously catchy and wonderfully dark song, and when EA performed it live (which I was not expecting) I got so excited! I sang along at the top of my voice :) I just love it. It's a fantastic closing track for Opheliac, too. The way that the album finishes with "... don't waste my time" and then falls into silence seems like an ironically abrupt end to a jam-packed album. I guess you could read lots into that powerful silence about suicide, but I'm not EA so I'm not going to try! A really fantastic song.

9) My Fairweather Friend

I really like this one at the moment! I guess it's because it makes a refreshing change for an EA song to use the guitar. I like how the song's tune (happy on first listen, but with a less happy edge) reflects the idea of the subject of the song, who is happy to be around when times are good but not so much in other times. I can imagine Emilie, and many people struggling with severe mental illness, will have had a few such "fairweather friends," as indeed many of us do. It's when times are hardest that we know who our true friends really are. This is a nice song to listen to between Emilie's "bigger" songs. I appreciate it very much!

10) Heard It All

This is one of my favourite songs from Enchant. I'm not sure why I like this one so much, as it doesn't seem to be one of the "stand-out tracks" (I suppose songs like Chambermaid and What If would be more predictable). I guess I like the beat to it--which reminds me of some of the old artists that I listen to and love--and the lyrics ("I can't fall because you'll try and catch me"), which are darker than many of the other lyrics on Enchant. It's personal, and you can read into it in so many ways. It's sung with such impatience and you see the first (if tiny) glimpses of the fierce stuff to come... A lovely song!

Ok, I've reached number ten! It's annoying to have to leave so many wonderful songs out, but this is just an idea of where I am with Emilie Autumn at the moment and which songs I'm particularly loving right now.

With Love,

J xxx

p.s. I've just watched The Kite Runner. I read the novel about eighteen months ago and loved it, but the intricacies of the plot went a bit hazy in my mind, so it was great to watch the film. If it doesn't bring a tear to your eye you must have a hard heart ! The film reminds us why we must try and obliterate violence and oppression (the scene in which a woman is stoned to death in a bloodstained burkha is possibly one of the most difficult scenes I have put myself through) and the importance of correcting past wrongs for the benefit of the next generation. It's also a beautifully made film: I definitely recommend it! :)