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Nobody asked for a mix of Björk, Natasha Bedingfield, and Evanescence's Amy Lee, but that's what Kerli offers -- served up with a touch of gothic Lolita -- on her debut album, Love Is Dead. It's an odd blend of influences, but these songs have enough quirks and enough polish (courtesy of producers David Maurice and Lester Mendez) to be mainstream and strange at the same time. At her best, Kerli brings a bewitching mix of light and shade to her music. "Walking on Air" is the finest example of her spooky yet uplifting sound: her slight Estonian accent adds a subtle otherness as childlike, whispery backing vocals that sound like they come from singing dolls hover over skittering breakbeats, while the moody, string and brass-laden bridge could have been borrowed from Björk's Selmasongs. Despite its theatricality, it's a surprisingly subtle yet catchy song. "Up Up Up" and "The Creationist," which skips along on a charming, spiraling piano loop, also show off Love Is Dead's sweetness and light. However, when Kerli ventures deeper into darker territory, the results are mixed. "Love Is Dead" sounds like Amy Lee covering "Army of Me" (in a good way), and the fiery "I Want Nothing" and industrial dominatrix rock of "Strange Boy" -- which rhymes "innocent" with "magnificent" -- show that Kerli can brood convincingly. On the other hand, the very Evanescence-ish power ballad "Bulletproof" gets too close to predictable melodrama, and "Hurt Me"'s masochistic rock is run of the mill. There's nothing typical about "Creepshow," however: a minor-key but funky dancefloor workout, it sounds a little like Fergie's "London Bridge" transported to Eastern Europe, but even stranger than that. It may be odd, but it's not boring, and the same can be said of most of Love Is Dead -- despite its faults, it is one of the most unique albums released by a major label in 2008.
© Heather Phares /TiVo
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Kerli Koiv, ComposerLyricist - Matty Green, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Fil Eisler, Guitar, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Inbal Segev, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - MILES GREGORY, ComposerLyricist - Kerli, MainArtist - David Maurice, Producer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Percussion, Drum Programmer, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Gregg August, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Skoota Warner, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Oliver Strauss, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - John Deley, String Arranger, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - T.J Doherty, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Anthony Falanga, Double Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Joel W. Noyes, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Emily J. Ondrovek, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Alison Zlotow, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Mio H. Alt, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Yoon K. Kwon, Violin, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2007 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Kerli Koiv, ComposerLyricist - Joe Wohlmuth, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - John Ewing, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Lester Mendez, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Neal Pogue, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kerli, MainArtist - Keith Gretlein, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sonus Quartet, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Charles Wilson, Jr., Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2007 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Kerli Koiv, ComposerLyricist - Karl Brazil, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Guy Chambers, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Piano, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Richard Flack, Mixer, Programmer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Stanborough, Acoustic Guitar, Programmer, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Kerli, MainArtist
℗ 2008 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Kerli Koiv, ComposerLyricist - Matty Green, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Jennifer Karr, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Josh Garza, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - RICHARD FORTUS, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ill Factor, Unknown, Other - Kerli, MainArtist - David Maurice, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Keyboards, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Deley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - T.J Doherty, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Kerli Koiv, ComposerLyricist - TONY MASERATI, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Roule, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Kerli, MainArtist - David Maurice, Producer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Recording Engineer, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Deley, String Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Jonathan Vinocour, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Yoon K. Kwon, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Inbal Brener, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Spetzer, Violin, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Kerli Koiv, ComposerLyricist - Matty Green, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Fil Eisler, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Who, ComposerLyricist - Kerli, MainArtist - David Maurice, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Recording Engineer, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Skoota Warner, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - John Deley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - T.J Doherty, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Kerli Koiv, Author - Mike Green, Engineer, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Benji Madden, Author, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joel Madden, Author - Neal Pogue, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Charles Wilson, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Kerli, MainArtist - Dead Executives, Composer, Producer
℗ 2008 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Kerli Koiv, ComposerLyricist - Matty Green, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Fil Eisler, Guitar, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kerli, MainArtist - Audrey Martells, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - David Maurice, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Recording Engineer, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Vanessa Bley, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Skoota Warner, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - John Deley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - T.J Doherty, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tanesha Gary, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Kerli Koiv, ComposerLyricist - Josh Freese, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Wohlmuth, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - John Ewing, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Lester Mendez, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Neal Pogue, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Charles Wilson, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Kerli, MainArtist - Keith Gretlein, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sonus Quartet, Strings, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Per Eklund, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mathias Wollo, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Andreas Levander, Bass, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Kerli Koiv, ComposerLyricist - Krister Linder, ComposerLyricist - Matty Green, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Lasse Marten, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kerli, MainArtist - Mattias Helldén, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Jonas Lindgren, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Sebastian Öberg, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Örjan Högberg, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Christian Olsson, Unknown, Other - The Fleshquartet, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - David Maurice, Producer, Mixer, Drums, Engineer, Additional Producer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - T.J Doherty, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Kerli Koiv, ComposerLyricist - Matty Green, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Jennifer Karr, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Josh Garza, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - RICHARD FORTUS, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ill Factor, Unknown, Other - Kerli, MainArtist - David Maurice, Producer, Mixer, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Recording Engineer, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - John Deley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - T.J Doherty, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Kerli Koiv, ComposerLyricist - Matty Green, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Fil Eisler, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Peter Ågren, ComposerLyricist - Kerli, MainArtist - Anders Lennartsson, ComposerLyricist - David Maurice, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Recording Engineer, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Skoota Warner, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - John Deley, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - T.J Doherty, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Album review
Nobody asked for a mix of Björk, Natasha Bedingfield, and Evanescence's Amy Lee, but that's what Kerli offers -- served up with a touch of gothic Lolita -- on her debut album, Love Is Dead. It's an odd blend of influences, but these songs have enough quirks and enough polish (courtesy of producers David Maurice and Lester Mendez) to be mainstream and strange at the same time. At her best, Kerli brings a bewitching mix of light and shade to her music. "Walking on Air" is the finest example of her spooky yet uplifting sound: her slight Estonian accent adds a subtle otherness as childlike, whispery backing vocals that sound like they come from singing dolls hover over skittering breakbeats, while the moody, string and brass-laden bridge could have been borrowed from Björk's Selmasongs. Despite its theatricality, it's a surprisingly subtle yet catchy song. "Up Up Up" and "The Creationist," which skips along on a charming, spiraling piano loop, also show off Love Is Dead's sweetness and light. However, when Kerli ventures deeper into darker territory, the results are mixed. "Love Is Dead" sounds like Amy Lee covering "Army of Me" (in a good way), and the fiery "I Want Nothing" and industrial dominatrix rock of "Strange Boy" -- which rhymes "innocent" with "magnificent" -- show that Kerli can brood convincingly. On the other hand, the very Evanescence-ish power ballad "Bulletproof" gets too close to predictable melodrama, and "Hurt Me"'s masochistic rock is run of the mill. There's nothing typical about "Creepshow," however: a minor-key but funky dancefloor workout, it sounds a little like Fergie's "London Bridge" transported to Eastern Europe, but even stranger than that. It may be odd, but it's not boring, and the same can be said of most of Love Is Dead -- despite its faults, it is one of the most unique albums released by a major label in 2008.
© Heather Phares /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:47:47
- Main artists: Kerli
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Island Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Alternative & Indie
© 2008 The Island Def Jam Music Group ℗ 2008 The Island Def Jam Music Group
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