Chapter 33

Pitchfork

Corey Lyondell: Making the Retrograde

2.4 / 10

by G. Brown

July 11, 2010

Corey Lyondell fails to live up to the title of her fourth solo outing, Making the Retrograde. If only she would move backward, back towards her undeniable debut Damsel Underdressed and her mostly charming follow-up At Charm’s Length. Instead, she’s relying on obvious formulas, too-cute-by-half lyrics, and bland melodies. Only on the standout Brake Lines, which repurposes the opening line from The Jam’s Away From The Numbers, “Things are getting just too cozy for me…” does Lyondell drop the forced cleverness for real vulnerability in a tale about habitually sabotaging relationships. More of that, less of everything else.