Amanda Palmer has forged her own path since her Dresden Doll days and is now a unique firebrand performer and Patreon favorite with an independent cast of mind. “There Will Be No Intermission” is an impressive, cohesive crowdfunded work with 10 tracks, separated by 10 musical interludes. Sparsely instrumented, mostly with her piano or banjo, her expressive voice is often delicate, sometimes roaring. Highlights include the nine-minute candid “The Ride,” a passionate cry for solidarity; “Drowning in the Sound,” with its electronica beat and backing, railing against social media hate; and “Bigger on the Inside,” her voice cracking over a repetitive refrain as she covers insults, forbearance and her dead brother. Beauty resides on every truth-infused song.
Book, movie/show, and album reviews
