JULY 2008 ONLINE EDITORIALS
Tickle Me Pink – Madeline
By Greta Cornett
Some advice for the ladies, don’t break Sean Kennedy’s heart. If people think hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, they have obviously not listened to Tickle Me Pink’s Madeline album. The lyrics of each song are piercing, heartfelt, and most importantly to the point. Kennedy annunciates each word like a dagger through each ex who has done him wrong. That’s right, there are a few ex-girlfriends who are “Typical” and can “Go Die”.
Madeline was originally a local release in 2007, recorded at the Blasting Room here in Fort Collins. Since then, this extremely polished pop group was picked up by Wind Up Records, who will be re-releasing the album nationally on July 8th. A couple of the original songs did end up on the cutting room floor. So if you have a copy of the first release, hold on to it.
The first single, “Typical,” sets the listener up for a journey through what may be the best breakup album I have ever heard. The verse wraps you up in a waltz like trance that is broken by angry yelling at the bridge, which then takes you into one of the most flagrant F**K YOUs on radio today. “Typical” is getting massive national radio play and at the same time causing major debates because of the use of the word “whore” in the chorus. And although I love to secretly rock out to this song in my car and sing along as loudly and proudly as possible (with my windows up of course), this is not even close to my favorite song on the album.
“We Still Dance” holds that title hands down. This song has everything I’m looking for; high energy from the get-go, soaring guitar riffs, a ska breakdown, modulation overdrive, a catchy chorus, and the overwhelming urge to jump up and down on my bed. I suggest putting this song on obnoxiously loud when you need an extra oomph in your step, it’s guilty pleasure good.
There is one girl on this album that Kennedy sings about with compassion and a sense of deep regret and sympathy. That would be the album’s namesake, “Madeline.” This song will haunt you to your core, from the eerie whistling behind the opening lyrics to the feeling of guilt that Kennedy bestows upon you for having not known her, to the deep loss you feel when you realize that she was a real person with a real story that ends so tragically. Once again, Kennedy yells angrily, but this time at himself, with the band chanting a ‘shame on you’ behind his heartbreak. He reminds us that we all have a Madeline in our closet. Her memories are bittersweet, making us laugh and cry at the same time.
I’m not going to pussy foot around it. I have always loved pop punk and Tickle Me Pink is leading that pack right now. Not only locally, but nationally. If you want to judge, go ahead and throw the first stone. But you are shorting yourself a musical experience of one of the best albums to come out of Fort Collins in a long time. It is precisely packaged to showcase each member. Kennedy does take the spotlight with the poignant lyrics and storytelling that will capture your attention from the first song to the last. But listen to the album again. Stefan Runstrom is one of our best drummers in Fort Collins and he shines on every song. I’ve been a Johnny Schou fan since his Unsinkable Molly Brown days and I’m so happy to see how far he has grown as a musician, and he’s still making music that I enjoy. The addition of Steven Beck brought the group to where they needed to be, giving them the full sound they have been looking for.
Give this album a listen and the chance it deserves. You’ll buy me a beer later!