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Lisa Germano, "Lullaby for Liquid Pig"
I doubt anyone would disagree that following up last year's stellar In the Maybe World would be a difficult feat, so Young God and Lisa Germano decided to reintroduce this scarcely available 2003 release (ironically frequently heralded as her best release to date) to a larger audience, adding a bonus disc of home demos and live recordings.
Young God
For 20 years, Germano has gone from backup musician to front and center stage, courted to dumped by major labels, critically acclaimed singer/songwriter to "retired" and working as a retail clerk yet staying connected and collaborating with some large names (Neil Finn of Split Enz/Crowded House, Johnny Marr, and Wendy of Wendy and Lisa/Prince & the Revolution, for example, all appear on this disc). Over the time her lyrics have, if anything, become far more candid and less opaque while her arrangements have become more intoxicating but through their own delicacy: piano, strings, guitars, marimba, xylophone, and various other instruments are always complimentary, never competing for loudness' sake.
Lullaby for Liquid Pig on its own is a masterpiece, her return after a five year absence following her final 4AD release, Slide. Songs vary from the haunted house proto-pop of "Candy" or the more hit-friendly "It's Party Time" to the sparsely arranged, tinkling piano and hushed strings of "Pearls" to the dark and creeping "Liquid Pig," driven by pulsing drumming and bass guitar, accented by unhuman noises and sound effects. Through her lyrics she channels ranges of themes and emotions from the personal to the abstract, taking the roles of a caring friend, a hopeless romantic, a little girl, and a drunk over the course of the disc. There's no points that feel weak or flawed nor are there ever any moments that are the slightest bit predictable or cliché.
The bonus CD is an extra present for those who are finally getting the disc but it's also more than worth the price of admission for hardcore fans. Extra CD for Pig is approximately 20 minutes longer than Lullaby for Liquid Pig and contains 20 songs in 11 tracks. The song order is unique: it goes back and forth from a home recording to a string of live songs contained within one track. Of the home recordings, Germano gives us stripped-down versions of the otherwise maximal "Candy," "Dream Glasses Off," and "Liquid Pig;" plus a drum machine-enhanced "Making Promises," an old version of "It's Party Time" and something the fans have passed around for years; "It's a Rainbow," recorded originally in 1997 with OPB; and a new unreleased song "My Imaginary Friend." The live recordings took place in both Lisbon and Los Angeles and are all solo performances with Lisa on piano, organ, or guitarselections include material from In the Maybe World, Slide, and even Moon Palace.
This Young God reissue is a fantastic breather until the next record and with the success of last year's monumental release, I'm sure 4AD are shitting themselves that they ever let her go and will undoubtedly make their catalog more available (if they haven't already). Then again it's a perfect time to collect the stuff for those who are only new to her sound.
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