Emilie Autumn
A Bit O' This & That

Hello again, DeBaser users! After a long period of absence from this site, for my third review, I decided to talk to you about "A Bit o' This & That," an album by Emilie Autumn released in 2007. For those who have never heard of this artist, Emilie is a Californian violinist who gained notoriety through her collaborations with figures like Courtney Love and the release in 2000 of "On A Day...", a collection of baroque compositions played by her. However, her true musical debut came in 2003 with "Enchant," a work characterized by an enchanted and ethereal sound, followed by the album that would make her a recognized figure globally, albeit for a niche audience: I'm talking about "Opheliac," which abandons the enchanted atmospheres of "Enchant" in favor of decidedly dark-classical ones, recreated through screeching choruses, vocal filters, and markedly industrial sounds that blend with baroque instruments like the harpsichord and her faithful violin, sometimes classical, sometimes electric. This will be the absolute protagonist of the following CD, "Laced/Unlaced" (released in 2008), which, in addition to collecting remastered tracks from "On A Day...", also offers compositions performed with the aforementioned electric violin, showcasing, among other things, an enormous talent in mastering this complex string instrument. After some biographical and discographical notes, let's move on to the analysis of the album.

"A Bit o' This & That" finds its place right in the period following the launch of "Opheliac" and preceding "Laced/Unlaced". It is a collection of rare tracks, B-Sides, remixes, and some live recordings. Before looking at the album's tracks in more detail, it should be noted that the songs were probably supposed to be included in "Enchant" and there is no trace of the hallucinatory sound that will characterize Emilie's later works: here we let ourselves be lulled by ethereal atmospheres that make us travel through enchanted forests with sulfurous colors. The only track that completely deviates from what has just been said is the first, the remix of "Chambermaid," a piece that was already lively before, imagine it after it passed through the hands of a DJ. Personally, I find it awful, as there was no worse way to ruin the song, and I also wonder why it was included in the collection. Moving on, we find the mix of "What If," originally played with piano accompanied by violin: through mixing, the original arrangement was overturned and now the song can fully fall into the Celtic music genre, with choruses (sometimes a bit too overwhelming), harpsichords, guitars, and violins laying the groundwork for Autumn's splendid voice. In the same vein, we find "By The Sword," a charity single released in 2001 dedicated to the victims of the 9/11 attacks, and "O Mistress Mine." If in the first track we find drums giving a certain rhythm to the song, in the second, the sweet notes of the violin lull us into a sort of enchanting night lullaby, perfect for relaxing or falling asleep. The same goes for "Find Me A Man," where, however, the electronic component takes the lead, and the Beatles cover "All My Loving," an excellent piece in its disarming simplicity, though the original is decidedly superior.

Note should also be taken of "Hollow Like My Soul," a piece accompanied by piano and an electronic beat and ethereal choruses, and "The Star Spangled Banner," where Emilie bares her voice without being accompanied by choruses or any backing track. Continuing, there are the live recordings: two excellent and evocative violin instrumentals ("Ancient Grounds" and "Veracini: Sonata in D Minor for Violin and Continuo"), a song ("I Know It's Over"), and a poem composed and sung by her ("Miss Lucy Had Some Leeches"). For all these four tracks, the recording quality is excellent. Finally, we have "With Every Passing Day," played entirely with the harpsichord, and "I Don't Care Much," a good chamber pop piece very similar to "Second Hand Faith," a track from the already mentioned album "Enchant."

All in all, the collection is excellent and definitely contains some gems ("By The Sword," the mix of "What If," "Find Me A Man"), but also some songs that are a bit too repetitive ("Hollow Like My Soul") or risk being boring ("O Mistress Mine"). The final rating is still excellent, and "A Bit o' This & That" is a recommended collection for all those who, like me, love Emilie. For those who would like to start listening to her, it's better to start with "Opheliac," her most representative album.

With this, I conclude the review, hoping it was comprehensive, and I bid you farewell until I write the next one.