if all art is communication (or all communication, art) it is interesting to think about the seemingly arbitrary languages we have made for ourselves. in the same way that vocal communication is molded into phonemes, words, and sentences, music takes shape as lyrics, verses, choruses, and songs. but it doesn’t have to be that way. if you consider the vast array of thoughts, emotions, and instincts you have, it seems kind of strange to coerce all of that into a rigid, tight formula like a verse or a song.
when Memory Celle describes her music as “alternative-ish”. and that may have you thinking of alternative, the music genre, but i’m not so sure that’s what she means. her music is “alternative-ish” to the traditional approaches to songwriting and songcraft. the formulaic structure of a song — the verse/chorus/verse/chorus/middle-right/chorus structure — is blown up. her debut ep, From the Saddest to the Baddest, is alternative-ish the same way it is experimental-ish; it plays with these old ideas of communication and expression. when the first track incorporates field recordings of outdoor(?) birds, or when the second track was recorded in a museum it violates the norm. isn’t music supposed to be made in a vacuum-sealed chamber?! when the final track pauses and becomes something completely different altogether, it violates the norm. when the percussion on “From the Saddest to the Baddest” sounds like it is beside the vocals and guitar (or is it bass?) instead of under them, it violates the norm.
but none of this exactly feels like direct abandon or rebellion. instead, From the Saddest to the Baddest feels in many ways completely unconcerned with the songwriting norms it blows raspberries at. and what’s why i really like it! Memory Celle lets the songs become what they are, in some ways going along with traditional expectations of contemporary music, and in some ways pushing back fiercely on them.
here are my three favorite moments from From the Saddest to the Baddest:
“Blue Alright”: recorded at The Aldrich Museum, there’s a moment when Memory Celle shouts “again” that you can hear her voice bounce around the walls of the building. it’s an interesting moment because it creates an image of someone alone in a big, open building, by themselves singing these words. that the music turns distorted soon after is just icing on the cake.
“From the Saddest to the Baddest”: my favorite song of the EP, its lyrical teeth are as sharp as its melodies. there are three components here: the guitar (or bass), the drums, and MC’s voice. these three play off each other in interesting ways, sometimes mirroring each other, and at other times completely going in different directions from one another. the best part is the refrain: “i can see it”, which feels powerful as Memory Celle lets the vocal melody lift from the building chaos.
Extratextual: okay, so this isn’t a moment on a song, per se, but it’s part of Memory Celle’s art/communication. if you take a look at her bandcamp page, you’ll see short descriptions of the individual songs. for example: ” Song 3 – has 😉 lyrics and booming drums. ” and yes, that is a correct statement. it has lyrics and drums. but these kind of vague descriptors almost turn into objective correlative sketches in their own right. the posted lyrics, for example contain further commentary like “I like when drums sound like thunder or a heartbeat through a stethoscope.” these little touches, along with the visual elements to Memory Celle, make it all the more interesting and absorbing.
