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Evanescence - 'Lithium'

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Fraser McAlpine | 09:31 UK time, Monday, 1 January 2007

EvanescenceIt seems there are only so many ways you can reinvent gothic sound for a high, glass-shattering set of pipes. This track had the potential to be a heart wrenching love epic, with a gorgeous sweeping piano and strings accompaniment ,and later a dramatic guitar 'n' drums explosion.

Well maybe epic is a bit OTT, but it would have been a massive improvement from Amy whining on about not having any lithium, which she clearly needs for some kind of scientific experiment. Ahem. Just the sort of thing to get you in the festive mood, no?

They seem to have lost what we liked about their singles – a bit of oomph! The whole thing sounds lazy and ‘can’t be arsed’ even with their trademark shreiking ghostie vocals and melodrama.

Maybe they could write a song while on helium next time, bit more fun to be had there…

Two starsReleased: January 8th
Watch the video at

(Sophie W)

Comments

  1. At 05:30 PM on 01 Jan 2007, Ben wrote:

    Oh come on! Have you done your homework? Lithium is what people with manic depression or bipolar disorder (?) take to stabilise wild moodswings. So no helium jokes :(

    Anyway, I rather like it.

  2. At 01:37 PM on 02 Jan 2007, Chelsea wrote:

    That was a harsh reveiw of the song i personally think. I Like the song very much, and no im not some sort of drug addict, ive never touched the stuff.

    I think that Evanescence are great, it makes a change from all the chav music that is out there.

    Fair enough, everyone deserves there own opinion, but i like it.

  3. At 05:38 PM on 02 Jan 2007, Leonnie wrote:

    My my you do strike me as the 'Bang Bang hamster on helium' type of song loving gal. I can't believe you gave this such an awful review and low score. But then again it's just your opinion. Ach well. I think the song is amazing and heartfelt, something alot of music lacks these days.

  4. At 05:53 PM on 02 Jan 2007, Daniel wrote:

    You have got to be kidding me. I know you are entitled to your opinion, but that was an extremely harsh review of the song. I have been an Evanescence fan for about 2 years now, and I must say that they are he best band out there today. Amy has a tremendous voice that is bound to last for the ages, and the four guys behind her aren't half-bad either. This song is one of my all-time favorites from Ev and I really believe it will be a hit because I think it relates to a lot of people's problems nowadays.

    I am not a drug addict in any way; in fact, I've never even touched a drug of any kind. I just think that Ev is a great band, Amy has a gorgeous set of pipes, this song is one of their best works, and it certainly beats most of the raunchy junk that is played on the radio in th U.S. today.

  5. At 05:59 PM on 02 Jan 2007, Ben 2 wrote:

    yeah, if you actually read about the song Lithium is just a metaphor about the confusion between Happiness and Sorrow..
    OH and by the way, it's a ballad, hence slowness, okay?
    Piece of artistry and probably one of the best songs of the year.

  6. At 09:01 PM on 02 Jan 2007, Kirsty wrote:

    erm you obviously dont understand the use of metaphors!

    lazy and can't be arsed? i think you should apply that to bands that dont even write their own material, now thats lazy. sigh! just because something doesn't mention sex or sexiness, or isn't "indie" people just dont want to know at the moment.

  7. At 10:25 PM on 02 Jan 2007, Jay wrote:

    Yeah, I think the reviewer need to do some research before assuming what the song is about, as Amy had said Lithium is not an ode to the drug or to Kurt Cobain, she said that she used the word Lithium because it means "a person is being happy in a negative point of view" or something like that. I think that Lithium is BETTER than My Immortal and could be one of the best power ballad.

    From MTV Italy

    Amy: "It's not literal, it's not literal about the drug for me, I've never taken lithium before. It's sort of a metaphor about numbness and happiness and sort of like, it's me looking at happiness in a negative way because I've always been, you know, kind of afraid to be happy. Like with the band and the art and everything else, it's always like I'm never letting myself break through into the happiness it seems like, because it's not cool or something. And describing happiness is lithium, it's like saying 'that's numbness, I won't be able to be an artist anymore if I'm happy,' which is hilarious because that's just not true, I'm happy. So it's like this fight within the song of like 'do I do this and get out of here and get happy or do i wallow in it like I always do?' and it's cool because at the end of the song I say 'I'm going to let it go,' like I am going to be happy."

  8. At 12:51 PM on 03 Jan 2007, Lou wrote:

    That is kinda harsh I don't think it sounds can't be assed...
    I guess it doesn't sound as good as some of their other stuff tho - there r better songs on the album.
    I liked the helium joke - lighten up Ben!

  9. At 10:24 AM on 04 Jan 2007, wrote:

    you fool amy said in an interveiw that she isnt wining about not having any lithium it is a metaphor. i would definitely not lazy i play guitar and sing and play piano its a very hard song to play and sing its a marvelous masterpeice probably my fave song in the four and a half years ive been listening to them.

  10. At 01:28 PM on 04 Jan 2007, di wrote:

    i actually think that the song is really good. i dunno why its been given a really harsh review. the song rocks and i love all of evanescence's material--oomph or not, its still really cool. i'm not a drug addict or whatever, but this song doesn't have to be for drug addicts. it can be for anyone, but then again, everyone is entitled to their own opinions...

  11. At 05:39 PM on 04 Jan 2007, wrote:

    2 stars? what a load of *. evanescence have come back so much better. losing ben moody was the best thing that happened for them. now their new album is alot more original, has alot more meaning and is so beautiful, amy lee's amazing talent has grown since the days of fallen, which i love, but The Open Door rocks so hard. lazy? can't be arsed. they spent over 2 year's writing, so they can be alot more arsed than many other bands who get people to write their songs for them

  12. At 05:51 PM on 04 Jan 2007, Rob Hall wrote:

    So your saying just because they are singing about the drug, Lithium, that Amy wants it, or takes it? Thats just ridiculous! Your basically saying that My Chemical Romance only perform 'Cancer' because they all have cancer? No, didn't think so.

    If you actually knew half of it, They use the word Lithium as a Metaphor!

    Next time do your research before 'wining' on about decent song.

  13. At 04:03 AM on 05 Jan 2007, wrote:

    Everyone I have talked to at my school that aren't especially die-hard Evanescence fans have said that Lithium is definately their favorite track on the album, so this really doesn't make much sense. It doesn't matter if a song has oomph or not. People just have to like it. And to me, this song is very "oomph"ful at the end.

  14. At 05:01 AM on 24 Jan 2007, Serma wrote:

    Hmm...interesting. I JUST heard about the band (Lithium was broadcast on satellite radio on an alternative rock channel that I never listen to but for some reason felt compelled to yesterday). I LOVE IT!!!! I LOVE the song so I went out and got a CD and I LOVE the CD!! (and I guess by default I should at least LIKE the satellite channel I listened to for bringing me to it).

    So also as a result I have been surfing to find out more about the song LITHIUM. WHY? Because in spite of what I have read about what Amy *means* by her song lyrics she (knowingly or accidentally) hit the whole experience of bipolar disorder right on the head....for me anyway. Whether it be she or Ben with bipolar or nobody with bipolar and it all being a metaphore this song sums it up like you might never realize.

    I am bipolar2 (as in hypo-manic). I have not taken lithium but a family member has. I take a different medication but it does the same thing. There is a common experience by many bipolar2 people to not really *want* to take the med because in spite of the deep depressions a lot of us don't like to squelch the psuedo-high we get in the hypo manic state. To take a med to quiet it can be hard if the ONLY pleasantness you get in life is during that state. And so....as Amy so wonderfully puts it....many of us don't want it (the drug) to drown our will to fly. Having said all that - I take my meds everyday without fail. Perhaps I don't fly anymore but at least my kids still have their mom.

    Even if this was never Amy's intention, she hit the nail on the head...it SHOULD have been her intention...she describes it so well I was completely shocked to learn that she is NOT bipolar.

  15. At 11:36 AM on 28 Mar 2007, wrote:

    I went to see My Chemical Romance on Saturday (24th March 2007) it was absolutely brilliant!

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