Music / Ataraxia

ATARAXIA is the seventh studio album by Panamean Singer-Songwriter Michelle Blades. It is her first release on the Midnight Special label.

Tracklist

1. "How Many Shadows Do I Lay On" (2:28)
2. "Needles in Your Pockets" (1:41)
3. "Subtropical Suburban" (3:24)
4. "Crush! I Went to Your Party / Fever Song Obsession / Crushed Operator!" (8:30)
5. "Going to Bars to Drink Alone" (1:39)
6. "Chapter XIII" (2:31)
7. "La Armada Cubana" (3:20)
8. "His Man" (4:51)
9. "Saturnino" (5:38)
10. "Kali" (4:12)
11. "Risk Fruit" (4:17)

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This album provides examples of:

• Animated Music Video: The MV for "His Man".
• The Death of Death: Evoked on "Kali":
  Even Death must die
  Even Death dies
• Drowning My Sorrows: The premise of "Going To Bars To Drink Alone".
• Epic Rocking: "Crush! I Went to Your Party / Fever Song Obsession / Crushed Operator!".
• Face on the Cover
• Freudian Excuse: Evoked on "His Man"
  It's easy to blame your faults on the flaws you inherit
• Happily Ever After: On "Kali":
  Oh, little light of mine
  The way you blink your eyes at me when you wake
  Is enough to make me believe that we will last
  'Til the end of days, always
• Lamarck Was Right: The protagonist of "His Man" inherits the powers of his father Midas and her mother Medusa
• Limited Lyrics Song: On "Chapter XIII":
  I'll be regretting you soon
  This much I know
  You are like the song
  That I listen to
  You are the only song I listen to
  You are the only song I hear
• Lyrical Cold Open: "Needles in Your Pockets".
• The Magic Touch: The protagonist of "His Man" can turn to stone everything he touches.
• Medusa: The mythological character is mentionned on "His Man". She, along with Midas gave birth to a boy who inherits both of their powers.
• Melismatic Vocals: Played on "Chapter XIII" and "His Man".
• Midas Touch: "His Man" imagines a boy born out of Midas and Medusa.
  Now everything he touches turns to stone
  And everything he looks at shines like gold
• Mood Whiplash: The slow serene "How Many Shadows Do I Lay On" suddenly gets raucous and energetic on its outro.
• Music Videos: Michelle intended to have a music video for each track off the album, in a similar fashion to Beyoncé's latest albums. In the end, only 3 songs off the album have a MV.
• Oblivious to Love: The protagonist of "His Man":
  He doesn't know what love is!
• One-Word Title: "Saturnino" and "Kali".
• Psychedelic Rock
• Siamese Twin Songs: "Crush! I Went to Your Party / Fever Song Obsession / Crushed Operator!".
• Song Style Shift:
  • "His Man" shifts between moody and hard-hitting Psychedelic Rock
  • The last three tracks of the album share that same trope:
    • "Saturnino" starts off slow until the last minute where it gets more rhythmic and anxious.
    • "Kali" follows that same scheme, except at the end where it gets more triumphant before swiftly turning dim. "Risk Fruit" shares a similar pattern but more chaotic.
• Taken for Granite: On "His Man":
  Now everything he touches turns to stone