Satisfying-Lee more evanescent than it's sonic cousin Fallen
Written: Dec 17 '07
Product Rating:
Pros: Tiffany Lee's brand of industrial / trance / pop is marvelous
Cons: If you MUST wallow in your misery, this album's positive spin isn't for you
The Bottom Line: Chaotic Resolve is post-Fallen, but Plumb (Tiffany Lee) has been doing dark spiritual themes longer than Evanescence (Amy Lee)... and better, too
bob_tomato's Full Review: Chaotic Resolve by Plumb
I wish Plumb's Chaotic Resolve had been released beforeEvanescence's Fallen. In that scenario, there would probably be no mistaking the fact that Amy Lee gets some of her inspiration from Tiffany Lee's particularly evanescent brand of industrial / trance / pop.
Chaotic Resolve is the album Fallen could have been, had Evanescence given voice to just a glimmer of hope…
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Chaotic Resolve
Both albums both feature strong, aggressive vocals from two women singing with a vengeance, a sharply cutting edge slicing into dangerously fatal areas most people manage to deal with in some non-destructive manner. But as I pointed out in my review of , these scary feelings, these suicidal tendencies need to be voiced, if they are to be dealt with. We need to hear these things because there are many people who constantly struggle with these dark demons; how can we understand and help if we can't relate to the horrific toll that manic depression can take on the mind?
Both Chaotic Resolve and Fallen dive into a dark abyss of depression and despair, but only Chaotic Resolve manages to shine a hopeful light into the nightmarish gloom. Take, for instance, Evancescence's Tourniquet and Plumb's Cut - where Amy Lee sings of being unable to find salvation, screaming "I want to die!", Tiffany Lee comes to the realization that she is not the only one who feels this desire to find relief in cutting herself, that she is not alone. The songs are two sides of the same frightening reality, both addressing self-destruction and despair. Tourniquet paints a bleak picture of the utter hopelessness severe depression can bring, and Cut shows that there can be hope and healing for someone afflicted by this condition.
Musically, Cut is very reminiscent of Evanescence's My Immortal, both featuring lovely, flowing piano lines, yet I prefer Cut over the other. My Immortal certainly is gorgeous, but Cut delivers so much more power, ranging further and farther dynamically. It certainly would be interesting to hear the Lees trade songs just to find out how they'd fare with each other's material…
More Plumb/EV similarities abound: of all the Plumb tracks, Better is probably the closest of all to matching anything on Fallen; it's a very close cousin to Bring Me To Life. Both songs churn relentlessly in what I'd label an "industrial trance-pop groove thang", goth guitars crunching, strings soaring over it all, and each Miss Lee attacking the microphone with aggressive fervor. And once again, the biggest difference between the two songs is the silver lining of hope surrounding Tiffany Lee's lyrics…
I don't want to care
And I don't want to hate
And I don't want to see you fall too far away
All because of fear
'Cause when you're afraid
You lash out at me
When you say all the things that you never meant to say
And try to break me
But in the end, what leaves you broken
In the end, makes you better
Now, I must be careful to point out that Plumb's Chaotic Resolve is not just some clone of Fallen - where the similarities exist, the resemblance is very strong: Cut, Better, and Bittersweet are all strongly "evanescent" (Bittersweet sounds more like it belongs on EV's first album Origin). Comparisons can also be made with Garbage - Chaotic Resolve has a couple songs that feature a strong dance groove to go with the crunchy guitars. Drum machines, horns and techno pads round out a trance-pop mood that works superbly in Motion, though I'm not sure of the need for the crowd noises at the start and finish of this track. And I DARE you to resist the groove that underlies I Can't Do This - it's dark, compelling and for those of us who prefer Christian lyrics to tell it like it is, this song is perfection…
I'm standing still
Moved so peaceful.
I can't pretend
That I'm fine.
I get so ill,
Crazy, agitated
When I'm not really dying
Wait a moment - did he say "Christian" lyrics?
Yes, I did. Plumb is a Christian artist, and one of those that I heartily recommend to anyone. The difference with Tiffany Lee is that she doesn't shrink from dealing with tough issues, and her music is fantastic. No punches are pulled here, something that happens a lot to make most CCM palatable for CCM radio. Plumb is one of the rare exceptions, and I think that anyone who enjoyed Evancescence's Fallen might love Chaotic Resolve even more.
And I haven't even mentioned the best song on the album yet…
Good Behavioris the song that introduced me to Plumb. The misleading intro lulls the listener into believing (at least for 14 seconds) that you're about to hear some atmospheric groove, and then like a police siren approaching at high speed, the song screams into full voice and accelerates into a industrial dance groove that belongs on a best of Garbage collection. Only better. Lots better. You have no idea how much I love this song. And this is one CCM song that will never make it to family friendly CCM radio, at least, not here in Dallas, because Good Behavior slaughters the sacred cow of religion, and religious tradition.
I was frozen in a fragile world
Of make believe and empty lies
Twisting the rules of a virtuous game
And captured by the thought of fear
And loneliness, afraid to cry
Suffocating, trying to scream
And I want out now
To find myself
Cause perfect only makes you crazy
There is no way that it could save me
I'm sick of feeling like a traitor
Is this the price for good behavior?
I can't tell you how many times I have seen people beaten down by manipulation, jealousy, and strangling traditions - all within the "safety" of a church. The reason for it is simple: organized religion focuses on selfish ambition, sacrificing a real, loving relationship with God and one's neighbors for power and control. Good Behavior rails against religion, shouting defiance at the manipulation that has taken the place of the freedom that exists in simply serving God and serving others.
At it's core, Chaotic Resolve is all about the search for freedom - freedom from all sorts of repressive systems found throughout our society and even in our churches. Freedom from self-loathing, depression, poor self-image, manipulation and suffocating traditions - Tiffany Lee tackles all these things and more in this marvelous recording. Don't let the "Christian" label keep you from discovering Chaotic Resolve…
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Plumb - Chaotic Resolve
Originally Released February 28, 2006 by Curb Records
Total Time: 1:00:35
Track Listing
Blush (Only You) / I Can't Do This / Real Life Fairytale / Better / Manic / Cut / Bittersweet / Good Behavior / Motion / I Have Nothing / Jekyll & Hyde / Sleep / Damaged [Redemption Extended Version]
The fourth album release from Plumb ranges from industrial pop -rock to funky dance-ready numbers and heartfelt ballads. Chaotic Resolve includes the ...More at Christianbook.com
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