Auf Der Maur

It opens with a bang in the swoopy, searing, catchy "Lightning is My Girl," which adds a rather confusing spoken interlude before the sweeping buildup of "Followed the Waves." From there on, she gets into the cycling hard rocker "Real A Lie," the softer "Taste You," the bass-heaving roaring "Beast of Honor," and the playful rocker "I'll Be Anything You Want." It rounds off with the sprawling "I Need I Want I Will," which starts on an ominous gothic note, before falling into silence, and blossoming again.

Listening to this album, it's not hard to see why Melissa Auf Der Maur was in the Smashing Pumpkins -- she has the heavy, roaring complexity that many other rockers could benefit from. There's an air of confidence around "Auf De Maur," which seems to come from Auf Der Maur's extensive experience, and her undeniable talent as a bassist and singer.

Auf Der Maur has a solid voice that rises above her music. Don't expect her to do any vocal gymnastics, but her vocals are assured and confident, as if she's fully in tune with her music. Her songwriting needs lots of work ("Take one look at your cook/Feed yourself, I'm on a hook"), but it has some raw promise ("I'll see you in my dreams/Electrified and cherry red") and very evocative imagery.

She was also the bassist in both the Smashing Pumpkins and Hole, so needless to say she plays a mean bass on her own album -- complex, dark, heavy, and sinuously flexible. Her old bandmate James Iha and Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme offer their own talents, with Homme cowriting and playing solid guitar, and Iha offering his talents to the solid "Head Unbound."

Melissa Auf Der Maur's debut shows the polish of many years in other people's bands, but she's strong on her own two feet, in her own unique sound. An imperfect but solid debut, and one that promises good things yet to come.

'Auf der Maur' is an important album: it does more than deliver 12 tracks of rock music to an audience. It takes each and every listener on a unique ride through the mind of someone who has a genuine love and appreciation for music. Whether it be the psyche-rock of first single 'Followed The Waves' (Melissa's soaring scream at the intro and conclusion of the tracks a definite highlight), the Harry-esque soaring pop-rock of 'Taste You', or the piano ballad 'Overpower Thee', this album is consistant and grandiose. Every track is intensely unique and powerful, enthralling the listener in different ways each time the record plays over.

One particular highlight of 'Auf der Maur' is 'I'll Be Anything You Want', which kicks off with Melissa playfully saying 'Ooh, for love is fun! Care to dance?' before heading into a stomping psychadelic riff. I have to say that 'Followed The Waves', 'Taste You' and the absolutely stunning 'Real A Lie' (the next single) are my favourite tracks on this album, but none are let-downs. 'Auf der Maur' is an embracing and incredible musical experience which accesses so many different sounds and styles on so many different levels. An absolute classic.

Some reviews here have slanted Melissa's lyrics, but I personally feel that, nonsensical to some, these words have deeper meaning to Auf der Maur, and that some of the lyrics included need to be taken in on a wider mindset instead of being looked at from one dimension.

In conclusion, 'Auf der Maur' is a divine experience, worth more than the asking price, and the world of alternative rock is better off having such a visionary. Top notch.

An earlier reviewer referenced Tool, but the closest album to this that I can think of is "Mer de Noms" by "A Perfect Circle".

Less fraught than Hole, less weird than Smashing Pumpkins, Melissa Auf Der Maur's debut album is classy and refined by comparison but no less honest or touching and while the singing is by no means great, it suits the songs.
A fine contemporary heavy rock album; fairly accessible but with a site more gravitas than the likes of Nickelback.