A Song For Friday: Cindy Lee
A selection from Patrick Flegel's Diamond Jubiliee, a triumph of pure emotion and enduring love for all forms of rock and pop
I almost didn’t listen to Diamond Jubilee, the latest album from Cindy Lee, the alter ego-in drag of Patrick Flegel, the Canadian musician who used to front the band Women. For one thing, the only stream available is on YouTube - no Bandcamp, even - and it’s over two hours long. If you want to buy it, you can download it from a Geocities (!) site and then PayPal Flegel $30. This all seemed a bit much and when added to the fact that I don’t recall liking Women much it was almost a bridge too far. But the buzz eventually drowned out my objections and I pledged to give it 10 minutes.
I barely looked up for the next hour, captivated by Flegel’s mastery of a variety of song forms, from 50s soda-shoppe pop to 60s jangle and Velvety hypnotics to icy 80s post-punk, 90s dance funk to 21st century indie rock and beyond. All of this is evened out by a raw, hazy recording style, with almost all the playing by Flegel alone. Some tracks seem to contain multitudes of songs, but with one song just blending into another as the album goes on, it’s hard to know what exactly is going on with the different segments of sound. And that’s totally OK! The emotional tenor is one of yearning, sometimes desperation, allied with warmth and an invitation to human connection. Then there’s the guitar playing, which either goes into exploratory mode or rips from your laptop like a length of barbed wire but is thrilling either way.
It seems almost unfair to chip one song off of this utterly magnificent edifice but that’s what this feature is about get a clue with If You Hear Me Crying. In the first minute alone, there are several ideas including a jangly strut and a slice of lounge pop, each with a different vocal approach. Then the guitar rips it apart and lets it reassemble. As Flegel moves through the changes, it gains intensity and cohesion, including another guitar solo even more powerful than the first.
The chorus speaks volumes for anyone who has ever felt silenced or unable to communicate:
It's just because my love is strong
If you hear me crying
I only wanted to be heard, to be heard
The whole album is an utter knockout, a spasm against the conventions of the music business and the art of music-making and presentation itself. I’m going to be digesting Diamond Jubilee for a while. Pull up a chair and join me at the feast.
Heard so much about this, now I just need to block off the time
Just incredible how good this album is - and thanks for your great words!