If we were to tell you that Melanie
Martinez was a competitor on The Voice
you’d probably assume she had dipped back into obscurity – especially if we
told you she was eliminated in week 5 – but you’d be wrong. Martinez didn’t
stop there and instead chose to pursue her passions and thus, Cry Baby was born. Martinez’s musical
stylings are similar to that of Marina and the Diamonds – both in tone and
layering – and the album is representative of this, evoking fond Electra Heart memories, whilst her vocal
styling is more similar to that of Halsey. But Martinez possesses a star
quality of her own, and her album feels entirely personal from beginning to
end, and not just a mere rehashing of what someone else has done before.
Like Diamandis, Martinez’s music is no fun-house,
and behind every door is a disturbing musical surprise waiting just for you, in
the best possible way. The sickly sweet theming continues throughout the album,
with Martinez offering up track after track of candy-coated instrumentals and
sinister lyrics; an effective way to have your thoughts easily digested by
listeners. Overall, Cry Baby is an
experimental pop album at its core, and utterly committed to its core theming
of infancy, complete with samples of crying, liquid pouring, and soap sounds, which
adds unique acoustic elements.
‘Dollhouse’ and ‘Cry Baby’ are some of the
most intriguing songs on the album, incorporating though-provoking lyrics,
upbeat pop tempos, and catchy choruses. Drawing on her childhood nickname, the
latter shows the amount of attentiveness and commitment Martinez has
contributed to make her kiddie creation come to life in such vibrant and
creative ways. ‘Carousel’ – featured on American
Horror Story: Freak Show – is a fairground for the ears; spectacular and
breath-taking, whilst ‘Pity Party’ is a misfit’s anthem for every generation. ‘Tag
you’re it’ combines dark concepts like sexual assault with childhood games to
emphasize the ingrained nature of entitlement to women’s bodies, and it works. ‘Mad
Hatter’ takes the Alice in Wonderland motif to a new level and runs with it down the rabbit hole, marking another triumph for Martinez.
Whilst Cry
Baby stays true to its conceptual idea, some tracks – when lined up with
the other absolutely artistic creations on the album – fall short, and ‘Pacify
Her’ is just average, whilst ‘Alphabet Boy’ wanders into bizarre territory. But
when you’re aiming for an ambitious album like this one, you’re bound to have a
few fatalities.
However, Cry Baby’s juxtaposition of sugary superficial sounds and
harrowing, heartfelt lyrics give the album its edge above competitors in the
alt-pop scene and Martinez’s cotton candy creation is as delicious as it looks on
the cover. Overall, the 13-track album is a combination of pure ambition and imagination.
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