Theatre is Evil is the new (almost) solo album by Amanda Palmer, accompanied by The Grand Theft Orchestra. This album is a departure from the typical voice plus keyboard formula found on 2008’s punk cabaret Who Killed Amanda Palmer, but maintains the essence and style that is so uniquely Amanda.

Interestingly, the production of this album was crowd funded through Kickstarter, meaning she was able to create it exactly as she wanted without the restrictions of a big label. Amanda has continued to make no secret of her love for Melbourne, choosing to record the album there over several weeks.

Some songs, such as "Do It With A Rock Star", involve a lot more guitar and drums then I expected, giving the sound sit quite solidly in the rock genre. Others border on electro, but not to worry tracks like "Trout Heart Replica" focus on the keyboard and prove that she hasn’t changed, she’s just evolving.

The lyrics are as clever as ever and remain just as catchy while telling so many stories and morals. Amanda Fucking Palmer continues to call it as she sees it, and as usual she’s pretty spot on.

A few of the tracks have a very similar mix, and don’t get me wrong it’s one I’m more than happy to hear again, but it’s still not as varied as her previous solo and Dresden Dolls albums.

Stand out tracks for me are "Lost", "Smile" and "Killing Type". They’re quintessential Amanda Palmer tracks while taking on a slightly new direction.

Review Score: 8.8 out of 10