ALBUM REVIEW: Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum Release Debut Album ‘THANKS FOR COMING’

Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum have released their stunning, debut album THANKS FOR COMING. The project is a tour de force exploration of the future of electronic music, with roots firmly planted in 80s synths and cinematic production that combine to generate a dark pop aesthetic with inspirations from modern post-punk and the pantheon of pop and electronic music. The group is composed of a trio of diverse talent: Michael C. Hall, an Emmy nominated, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award winner actor, singer, and performer whose long career on Broadway has made him one of the most sought after talents in the business, Peter Yanowitz who is best known as the drummer for The Wallflowers and Morningwood, and Matt Katz-Bohen who has toured with Blondie for the past ten years and worked with some of the biggest names in music such as Boy George and Cyndi Lauper.

THANKS FOR COMING is a masterful collection of tracks that each approaches rock music from the electronic realm, shedding the classic four-piece band for heavy synths and layered vocal lines that create a genre entirely of its own. David Bowie’s influence is certainly strongly present as the band cites both him and Giorgio Moroder as large inspirations for the album. Fans of rock outfits like Interpol and Silversun Pickups as well as more electronic leaning groups like Phantogram -- whose song “Cruel World” is covered as a bonus track on the album -- will fall in love with the unique blend of sounds on THANKS FOR COMING.

The album begins with “Intro,” a cinematic and swelling track that feels alive with its beating heart-esque beat that mixes perfectly into the second track on the album, “Bombed Out Sites.” This first half of THANKS FOR COMING up to the track “Sideways” contains moments of profound intensity but is largely a foray into more ambient and celestial production. Many of the tracks like “Nevertheless” and “Moodarama” are highly concerned with the sinister potential of modern technology and express fears concerning mind control and a loss of individuality. It’s provocative that a band so invested in the electronic sound which is so reminiscent of futuristic designs is so concerned with the threat of technology, but perhaps that is exactly the point. Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum directly comment on the threat of big tech by embodying the very space it occupies to expose its dark underbelly through both their lyrics and threatening production.

Hard-hitting stand-outs from THANKS FOR COMING include “Nevertheless” which is a borderline disturbing yet wholly engrossing and well-produced track that careens out of control towards the end. “Sideways” is the most abrupt shift in the album with each beat punctuated intensely by a chaotic choir of drums, electric guitars, and filtered lyrics that provide no relief until the bridge. Or “Angela Peacock” which is equally as hard-hitting, and utterly relentless.

”Eat an Eraser,” one of the psychedelic first singles released from the project contains the most funk inspired beat as well as the one of the deepest explorations into the existential fears that the album is primarily concerned with. The track frets over climate change and nuclear warfare, and proposes a dark solution: to erase all knowledge of these worries. “The title comes from a line in the final verse of the song. It’s a cultural invitation to erase awareness of certain existential realities . . . not that that makes them any less real,” said Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum on the naming of the track. It is purposefully open-ended and encourages listeners to interpret it based on their own realities.

“Airhead” is one of the most traditionally structured songs, with the vocals most at the forefront of the track to feature a soaring chorus and a haunting cry begging for a loved one to “come back.” This is by far the punchiest track on the album and is certain to be a fan favorite.

THANKS FOR COMING is without a doubt the most revolutionary release of 2021. Its cohesion and depth display the perfectly crafted talent of its three members whose experience within the industry has certainly paid off. The sweetly sinister production and uncanny melodies and bass lines will keep you on your toes and have you turning your volume up to just bathe in the exquisitely unique sound of Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum. The messages behind each of the tracks are important and necessary especially moving into the new year. Stay tuned for more updates from Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum!

Feature Image By: Paul Storey