Series of unfortunate but funny songs
The Gothic Archies
The Tragic Treasury: Songs from A Series of Unfortunate Events [Nonesuch; 2006]
Grade: A
I suggest that as the reader of this music review, you examine whether or not you really want to subject yourself to the woeful story behind The Gothic Archies.
This review fails to describe the situation that gave birth to The Gothic Archies. It will only scrape the tip of the story; the whole thing is just too much to bear in one sitting.
The story begins in September of 2003 with the first song, appropriately titled “Scream and Run Away.”
The song puts to music the story as written by Lemony Snicket in his books, “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”
It sings a tale of the Baudelaire orphans, and their plight as they try to escape the evil grip of the treacherous Count Olaf.
There are 13 dreadful songs on this album that span the time until October 2006, the month when the final song, and this album, was released.
One of the miserable songs vocalizes the story of being attacked by deadly leaches, while another tells of the Baudelaires disguising themselves as a two-headed freak and a wolf baby.
The songs carry a feeling of wretchedness, and you will probably not believe me when I say this, but they are also quite amusing and rather funny at times.
All of the songs are written and preformed by Stephin Merritt, the man behind the indie rock band The Magnetic Fields, except for one song in which Lemony Snicket himself lends his support on the accordion.
The album does follow Snicket’s unfortunate tale, but if you have not read the dreadful books, you can still enjoy these songs.
However, before you partake, I implore you only listen after careful contemplation, because the songs sing of terrible, terrible things.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.