Kerli

Kerli, besides coming to America, the 2nd best thing I think you did was the live performance of 'Walking on Air' at the Scream 2008. WOW! That performance, the lyrics, the background artists/outfits/makeup, was one of the most entertaining 5 minutes I've ever experienced in a live music video! You've just turned me into a big fan, your being cute is just a bonus. This is a really unique sound you've created, don't change for awhile! Everyone else, you need to check her out! You'll be surprised. Start with this album and work back to her earlier works.

She's from Estonia! E-S-T-O-N-I-A! And don't you forget it. This makes her creepy, unpredictable, and prone to fits of musical spontaneity. Despite her uncanny physical similarities to fellow blonde rocker Avril Lavigne, newcomer Kerli has an earnest and raw vulnerability to the truth of her music.

It is the presentation of Kerli, however, that spins the greatest web of lies about this wonderful performer. If you believe the packaging, Kerli is a gothic porcelain doll, wrapped in misery and strife and haunted by her own emotions, clutching onto any false sense of security she can. But as Kerli co-wrote every single track on the album, one listen through will shatter that trite, yet very marketable, painted image. Kerli desperately sings for help, her airy yet solid vocals belting out that "Love don't live here anymore" on her debut single, "Love Is Dead," which is also the title of her album. The video depicts an aged and wrinkled, graying and frazzled Kerli, from the shoulders up, alone and singing on a scrolling backdrop of nature and effects. As the video progresses, slowly but surely she appears younger and younger until her hair is smooth and golden, her skin youthful and healthy. No climax, no story, no relation to the content of the song, but the simple beauty of the video aligns perfectly with the simple beauty in the music and Kerli's voice. Bleach-blond damaged rocker I can believe. Dark and gloomy goth girl? I definitely don't buy that.

Dancefloor friendly?
Her second single, "Walking on Air," is about the girl from Estonia, trapped and isolated by her differences and striving to be so much higher than she is. The instrumentation is gloomy and fits the album packaging perfectly, while the lyrics definitely embody the spirit of overcoming your obstacles. No matter how strange and secluded you are, you can achieve. For a goth girl, this message is extremely out of place, yet somehow fits perfectly among the Halloween that is "Walking on Air." Island Records made a fantastic move regarding "Walking," as they issued club mixes from Ralphi Rosario & Craig J, Josh Harris, Lindbergh Palace, and Armin Van Buuren. Ralphi and Craig take the track in a soulless, circuit style meant to pack the floor but not really in any deference to the original. Josh's mix adds a little something extra, definitely involving adequate floor appeal but also making a more palatable track. Utilizing a beat similar to Christina Aguilera's "Keeps Gettin' Better" and Britney Spear's "Womanizer," the Lindbergh Palace mix strays from their typical style, a lush and poppy backdrop for Kerli's yearning vocals. The winner here is Armin Van Buuren's club creeper, taking some of the best vocal elements from the track and transforming them into trance beauty. The only fault I find with Armin's mix is the fact that the chorus has mostly disappeared.

The rest of Love Is Dead vacillates between styles. "The Creationist" is an upbeat romp through good-natured Estonian cheer where Kerli, sounding very much like earlier Bjork, informs us that she is a creationist. Good to know! "Creepshow," possibly the album's darkest track, playing along like the dark and twisted carousel ride we all wanted to hear when first seeing the album packaging. Near the end plays the dark electronic number "Strange Boy" which is one of my personal favorites. There are other light and dark moments interspersed throughout, making this a well-rounded journey through the lost and lonely child of Estonia. E-S-T-O-N-I-A!

Summary
'Love Is Dead' is one of the best and most unique major label offerings of 2008, and hardly something to miss. With Kerli's emergence into the dance scene, I predict that this is the album to watch. Four and a half stars.

I love love this cd. Her music mixes dark and light so its not depressing or over the top bubbly. Her lyrics are poetic and her music is a mix of pop and goth. Best Tracks: Love Is Dead (samples madonnas love dont live here anymore), Walking On Air(amazing video too!!!), Bullet Proof, Butterfly Cry. I love all her tracks though. Shes sooo beautiful too!!

I heard of this artist on the 2008 Spike Scream Awards when she performed "Walking on Air" onstage. I was instantly hooked on the song (and got everyone else in my house hooked too). After looking up more of her music I decided I wanted to buy the album.
She has a kind of cool weirdness to her music and her songs each have a different style to it. I think the music itself sounds a little too synthetic sometimes - like there was no real band available to play or it was over-produced.

My favorite tracks on the album are "Walking on Air" and "Bullet Proof"All in all - its a good album and she is an interesting character.
I would recommend this album to anyone who is open minded about music and likes things that are a little different or kinda strange. The album cover makes it look like it may be some kind of goth-pop stuff but its not. Its a cool album and I'm happy with it :)

I was asleep in front of the TV when the 2008 scream awards began. I was then in the twilight zone when I awakened to this music. "Who is this?" I asked. In sharing this with my family, I find that my daughters and grand daughters already know who Kerli is. My youngest, age six, insists in hearing the end of the song when Kerli comes on the radio. "Love is dead" is a must buy for all ages.