The first reaction I had to playing this album in the office was the comment “who is that? Portishead?”.
No, it was Tori Amos with her 10th studio album ‘Abnormally Attracted To Sin’. This is also Tori’s first album for her new label Universal/Republic.
I don’t know what it is when artists changed labels. Often the new environment is just the thing needed to spark the creativity. That has certainly happened here with Tori.
The last two albums ‘American Doll Posse’ (2007) and ‘The Beekeeper’ seemed to run out of stream. On ‘Abnormally Attracted To Sin’, Tori sounds revitalized.
You immediately know she is experimenting with new directions, hence the Portishead mistake. ‘Welcome To England’, the first single from the album heads in that direction, but Tori has a very distinctive voice.
Lyrically, she is heading towards songs about women, power and sin and discussing religious truth. “There was a gambler and a cleaner and a puppeteer. Only the puppet could explain who he was,” she sings on ‘Not Dying Today’. “Pussy willow calls by the church, don’t go in if you are abnormally attracted to sin,” she sings on the title track.
The styles vary. The opener ‘Give’ is trip-hip, while ‘Maybe California’ takes us to a completely different place with its haunting sounds.
The albums epic is the stunning ‘Lady In Blue’ clocking in at just over 7 minutes and featuring from mesmerizing guitar work from Mac Aladdin.
It doesn’t all work. ‘Police Me’ is rather forgettable and ‘That Guy’ sounds like it should have been a b-side.
If I had to criticize one point, there is a lot to absorb with this album. 18 tracks clocking in at 75 minutes 56 seconds is a lot for a fan to take in. I would prefer two 10 track albums in one year than this mountain of new music. (Well, thats how it used to be done). However, ‘Abnormally Attracted To Sin’ is Tori sounding toned again.
Tracklisting:
Disk 1
1. Give
2. Welcome To England
3. Strong Black Vine
4. Flavor
5. Not Dying Today
6. Maybe California
7. Curtain Call
8. Fire To Your Plain
9. Police Me
10. That Guy
11. Abnormally Attracted To Sin
12. 500 Miles
13. Mary Jane
14. Starling
15. Fast Horse
16. Ophelia
17. Lady In Blue
18. Oscar's Theme
