Voltaire- Then and Again

While gothic comedian and songwriter Voltaire has been occasionally showing his softer side since his first album, this EP is the first to focus exclusively – or almost exclusively, at least – on his more serious work. Though technically this is a collection of songs written over a period of ten years, they all fit together surprisingly well, and this should please long-time fans as well as winning over new ones. It starts off with “Crusade,” a lovely strummed guitar piece with all the rhythm and heart of a good Irish rebel song and lyrics that at first seem to be your standard Medieval fantasy ballad and end up being a commentary on both xenophobia and fatherhood. It’s both catchy and marvelously subtle. The theme of fatherhood pops up again on “Goodnight Dragonslayer,” a lullaby the artist wrote for his son and also the only overtly funny song on the disk. “Tell the monster that lives ‘neath your bed,” Voltaire instructs his son, “To go somewhere else or you’ll kick him in the head.” “Welcome to the World” and “Wall of Pride” see Voltaire taking a more solemn turn, and “Born Bad” could be the heartfelt sister song of his sarcastic crowd favorite “When You’re Evil.” This EP also contains a cover of the Cure’s “Lovesong” with delicate violins standing in for the keyboard part, and it’s a lovely version, quintessentially Voltaire but still retaining the essence of the original.

Check out the man himself and his various and sundry projects (he’s also an animator, author, and artist) at www.voltaire.net.