Now I will admit up front that I am no fan of singer-songwriters, musicals or cabaret, so I may not be the best person to judge when it comes to the merits of Impermanence. Nor am I a great appreciator of vocalists…..they often just seem to get in the way of the music. And when desirous of drama in music, my response is to go for some classical (not opera) or prog (KC, VDGG, etc.) or a bit of gothishness (no neo-cabaret, like Voltaire). My patience rapidly fades when confronted with vocal melodrama, in almost all cases.

On this album Othon makes use of the talents of Marc Almond and other vocalists, including his own voice (on “All is Too Soon”). Even the exceptional charm of someone like Antony Hegarty can wear thin on my ears after twenty minutes or so…..yes, a sad commentary on my vile tastes in arts and music. One person’s melodrama is another’s emotional depth, or so it would seem. That being said I still found a couple of things to like about Impermanence.

Othon is obviously a good piano player and composer; the solo piano rendition of the title track (without vocals) is very nice indeed and evidence of his talent. The vocal version of “Impermanence” which ends the album, with vocals by Ernesto Tomasini, is gorgeous with organ and lush string sounds. But the addition of kettle drums (?) as dramatic punctuation is really not needed, making the track seem overworked. The grandiosity of the remaining tracks on the album does tend to wear one out, leaving the listener’s ears overstressed and exhausted. Othon in his arrangements tends towards overdoing it where the music would probably benefit from less, thereby allowing the music (and listener) to breathe a bit. I felt trapped by Othon’s ersatz, Weimar-cabaret style when listening to
Impermanence…..too claustrophobically rich for my tastes.

On the other hand, I can think of many people who would enjoy this release and savor it with relish. So, if dramatic musical and vocal flourishes are your taste then by all means dive into Orthon’s rich confections on Impermanence.