If you listen to Evanescence after the grunge era faded, you'll find that Lee's vocals have matured, the music is much more complex and the lyrical content is no longer the equivalent to a teenage girl's diary. But to Lee's credit, she was no more than a teenager when the band formed, and Fallen was nothing but a tidy version of old, old demos. Ben Moody (former lead guitar) and Amy Lee found a common ground between heavily distorted guitar riffs and enchanting piano melodies. The product spoke to an audience whom had never before existed. Moody and Lee have since parted ways.
Evanescence has gone through a few lineup changes in the last 14 years with only two studio albums and one live album succeeding their debut. The Open Door of 2006 was certified double-platinum, and was a much darker addition. The band’s self-titled album of 2011 was certified gold, hitting a much happier note than its predecessor.
Since, the band has been rather quiet. But that changed in 2014 when Lee began dropping hints of a new project. This was Aftermath, a film score Lee had done with cellist Dave Eggar for the film War Story. Fan reception was mixed, as only two tracks featured vocals. It was a side of Lee fans weren’t used to. The pop-like/electronic vibrations of Push the Button seemed to be a far cry from the power cords of Evanescence. In reality, it was Evanescence minus the sound of the head-banging rock music we all know and love.
The release of the film score happened to come in the same year as the birth of Lee’s first child. The birth of her son brought out a part of her that didn’t fully resonate with those old, dismal feelings, “I think having Jack just makes things less scary for me. I have more confidence and a little bit more of a light heart in terms of what’s going to kill me and what I can handle.”
Two years passed with no promises for future Evanescence material, but Lee was adamant about letting her fans know that she wasn’t giving up music. And slowly new material started to hit Lee’s YouTube channel and personal website. Then, in February of 2016, Lee’s first solo album hit iTunes. Recover Vol. 1 was a bittersweet gift to Evanescence and Amy Lee fans alike. The album included four cover songs the musician had strategically trickled onto social media over the course of three months. Not one of these songs sounds or feels like Evanescence, and that is what makes them so interesting. Each track was promoted with a music video, all of which support the simplistic, black and white theme of both the music and cover art. With this album, Lee gives fans a taste of the music that shaped her as a musician but with her own spin.
Track 1: It’s a Fire (Portishead)
This song is rather simple, as far as instruments are concerned. Just a keyboard and strings accent Lee’s melancholic vocals, and shine they do! The harmonizing vocals are either very soft or nonexistent; something Evanescence fans might find alarming. This song feels very unprocessed. It’s simply Lee and her piano/keyboard. As a classically-trained pianist, Lee never disappoints on said type of performance.
Track 2: With or Without You (U2)
Begging, aching and longing are all emotions portrayed best in this song by Lee’s voice alone. It really shows her range well. The valleys of alto and peaks of soprano are an ethereal journey for the listener. The song is haunting and sensual, and it’s no surprise since Lee claims to have heard it in her sleep right before waking. It is one of two songs which makes heavy use of a synthesizer.
Track 3: Going to California (Led Zeppelin)
Staying true to the original, this track is beautifully simplistic with nothing but an acoustic guitar and Lee being the makeup. She manages to hit some glass-shattering notes in a modest amount. The track concludes with her humming along to the music as if it were a tune close to her heart. It should be no surprise that Lee claims this is a song her musically inclined family used to gather in the living room and perform.
Track 4: Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing (Chris Isaak)
Talk about kicking it up a notch! This number was done for a film scene, but rejection didn’t keep it from seeing the light of day. The final track mirrors that of Push the Button. It’s sassy, it’s pop and it’s heavily synthesized! It’s everything you wouldn’t expect from Lee and more! Like the aforementioned track from Aftermath, however, it works. It works in a very strange way. Lee’s voice mingles sexily with itself, sexy being a term one wouldn’t coin any Evanescence track with. It shows the mature yet adventurous side of Lee. It’s a bold track that makes a bold statement.
As a huge fan of both Evanescence and Amy Lee, I was surprisingly delighted by this album. Admittedly, I had warmed up to the new sound from listening to the film score. It took me a few days to decide if I was comfortable with this definitely-not-Evanescence sound, but I did. As a die-hard fan, I realized I would follow Lee just about anywhere in her music ventures. All great musicians mature, and I respect those who aren’t afraid to try new things. In Lee’s case, it happened to be a step in the right direction. As a solo act, she is able to elevate certain aspects fans love about the music of Evanescence.
There is talk of future Evanescence material. The band is currently on tour promoting the release of a box set. As far as Recover Vol. 2, fans aren’t opposed to the idea as Volume One received positive feedback (five-star rating on iTunes). I know I’ll be looking forward to it. For now, maybe Evanescence fan's can get their fix from Lee's new children's album Dream to Much . . . no sarcasm intended!
Since, the band has been rather quiet. But that changed in 2014 when Lee began dropping hints of a new project. This was Aftermath, a film score Lee had done with cellist Dave Eggar for the film War Story. Fan reception was mixed, as only two tracks featured vocals. It was a side of Lee fans weren’t used to. The pop-like/electronic vibrations of Push the Button seemed to be a far cry from the power cords of Evanescence. In reality, it was Evanescence minus the sound of the head-banging rock music we all know and love.
The release of the film score happened to come in the same year as the birth of Lee’s first child. The birth of her son brought out a part of her that didn’t fully resonate with those old, dismal feelings, “I think having Jack just makes things less scary for me. I have more confidence and a little bit more of a light heart in terms of what’s going to kill me and what I can handle.”
This song is rather simple, as far as instruments are concerned. Just a keyboard and strings accent Lee’s melancholic vocals, and shine they do! The harmonizing vocals are either very soft or nonexistent; something Evanescence fans might find alarming. This song feels very unprocessed. It’s simply Lee and her piano/keyboard. As a classically-trained pianist, Lee never disappoints on said type of performance.
Begging, aching and longing are all emotions portrayed best in this song by Lee’s voice alone. It really shows her range well. The valleys of alto and peaks of soprano are an ethereal journey for the listener. The song is haunting and sensual, and it’s no surprise since Lee claims to have heard it in her sleep right before waking. It is one of two songs which makes heavy use of a synthesizer.
Staying true to the original, this track is beautifully simplistic with nothing but an acoustic guitar and Lee being the makeup. She manages to hit some glass-shattering notes in a modest amount. The track concludes with her humming along to the music as if it were a tune close to her heart. It should be no surprise that Lee claims this is a song her musically inclined family used to gather in the living room and perform.
Talk about kicking it up a notch! This number was done for a film scene, but rejection didn’t keep it from seeing the light of day. The final track mirrors that of Push the Button. It’s sassy, it’s pop and it’s heavily synthesized! It’s everything you wouldn’t expect from Lee and more! Like the aforementioned track from Aftermath, however, it works. It works in a very strange way. Lee’s voice mingles sexily with itself, sexy being a term one wouldn’t coin any Evanescence track with. It shows the mature yet adventurous side of Lee. It’s a bold track that makes a bold statement.
There is talk of future Evanescence material. The band is currently on tour promoting the release of a box set. As far as Recover Vol. 2, fans aren’t opposed to the idea as Volume One received positive feedback (five-star rating on iTunes). I know I’ll be looking forward to it. For now, maybe Evanescence fan's can get their fix from Lee's new children's album Dream to Much . . . no sarcasm intended!
References:
Wikipedia.org
