Nicole Dollanganger - Natural Born Losers (2015)
by Flork
Ahh, how can I be any luckier than to review the angelic vocals of Nicole Dollanganger, especially on the eve of New Year’s Eve. This is something the Florkman has really been looking forward to, an album full of atmospheric and haunting beauty that is enhanced a thousand-fold by the young Canadian singer’s voice. Although Natural Born Losers was released back in 2015, it is the Florkster’s first review of an artist from overseas and published here in Slovakia. And so, I press play and close my eyes and immerse myself in the beauty of her songs and voice while allowing myself to be carried away to a dreamy wonderland of sorts, a place of comfort, pain, and sometimes solace in an otherworld that sadly coexists with this one.
The album leads with Poacher’s Pride, a gentle tune that leads with “I shot an angel with my father’s rifle, I should have set it free, but I let it bleed…” Naturally, there are a couple of religious references in the text, yet there are certainly more interpretations of the lyrics since it refers to the sickness of Poacher’s Pride, which is killing without remorse. And this is no surprise as her compositions often characterise topics of injustice and true crime, which is heard on Mean, a folksy-gothic composition that references police brutality and sung in her feminine style. This song in particular is one of my favourite tracks with its light washes of sounds and a pick-me-up rhythm that ends suddenly in what seems like an upbeat crescendo. And like much of her music, she creates an eerie undertone of dramatic irony that weaves in and out throughout her songs, both lyrically and musically. Songs like White Trashing and Swan dote heavily on violence as well, with her lullaby voice describing the scenes of carnage outside her window, perhaps even through the eyes of the innocent victim of the swan. In the Land references the true killing of two children by their mother and ends eerily with the haunting beats of the bass drum.
But my favourite by far is Alligator Blood, a song written about domestic violence and sexual abuse which was inspired by her trips to Florida. It’s difficult to say whether the “he” figure is a father or abusive boyfriend „he held my head & made me watch, filled my mouth up with its blood and said "grow up weak or grow up tough"", but it’s the way the song is composed itself, with its uplifting changes and Nicole’s lilting voice that give it an ironic sense of optimism. Yet the optimism soon fades with the ensuing tracks, like Executioner for instance, “Oh how sad to face the judgement, unprepared to meet your god” and later “in darkness I hope you’ll never find him again” and that everyone fries in Texas. American tradition is another example of masked pain hidden behind the façades of human superficiality. Angels of Porn is a further example of our failings, with Nicole’s beautiful voice comparing the torture of suffering with anorexia with rape and sexual abuse. This is by far the strongest track on the album with its heavy guitars and intense vocals, as well as my favourite. The album ends of course, as beautifully as it begins, with You’re so cool. It’s kind of a continuation and conclusion of Poacher’s Pride, yet sung with a male accompaniment. “When I’m good, I’m good, but when I’m bad, I’m better". And it’s this very irony, ending with the words “You’re so cool, you’re so cool” that makes sense of the album’s title. Whether we are the victims or the victimisers, we are all natural born losers.
And though this album is nearly 7 years old, perhaps it has more pertinence now in 2022 than at any other time in our history. I give Natural Born Losers a 10 out of 10 for its minimalistic musical composition and arrangements, as well as the bitter irony in its lyrics. But of course, it’s Nicole herself, as well as the beauty of her song writing and vocals that make me want to listen to more.
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