Marilyn Manson - Heart Shaped Glasses (When The Heart Guides The Hand) (Polydor)
4/5
By: Michael Cragg
It can sometimes be difficult to remember that Marilyn Manson is actually a musician, his output lost amongst the barrage of hype, controversy, broken marriages, affairs and copious amounts of make-up. That he has made five albums including 2004's best-of collection may come as a surprise to those that assumed his shelf life was as short as the nu-metal dirge he reacted against. The thing with Marilyn Manson (or Brian Warner to his 'mom') is that he's far too intelligent to slip from the limelight and 'Heart-Shaped-Glasses...' is his best single since 'The Dope Show' back in 1998.
The initial thing that strikes you on first listen is the melody, as catchy and (whisper it) hummable as anything he's ever done. Each verse segways into a bridge which evolves into the crunching chorus of "Don't break, don't break my heart/ And I won't break your heart shaped glasses". It seems a fairly one-sided deal if you ask me, but it's the kind of dumb fun that was last in evidence on his cover of 'Tainted Love', his biggest hit to date. Whilst the rest of the lyrics are typically sinister in an old-man-at-a-teenagers-party kind of way ("Little girl, little girl you should close your eyes"), it's the music that really surprises.
Built around a slightly off-tempo drum pattern complete with spooky synths and subtle guitar riffs, it could have crept onto The Killers first album, if only Brandon Flowers lightened up a bit. Each glorious chorus shows that for all his dark posturing Marilyn Manson can't help but want to make people dance, which brings to mind some odd images of black-clad Goths at an indie disco. Perhaps that's why he remains so popular outside of America where he is appreciated for what he is; a slightly camp, fantastically dressed singer who knows exactly which buttons to press in order to get a reaction.
As with any artist who has had a large cultural impact (think religious protests, the Columbine witch-hunt, his remarks on 'Bowling For Columbine'), Marilyn Manson may never reach the peaks of his earlier career in terms of success, but as the external distractions slip away it's left to the music to do the talking and luckily for him 'Heart-Shaped-Glasses...' is up to the challenge.
Watch the video to 'Heart Shaped Glasses' HERE.
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