"She lost her touch at the beginning of the decade. The musical creativity is gone, the lyrical urgency is gone. The albums are boring, monotonus, uninspired. She sounds bored while at the same time overly self-absorbed in her lyrics. She has nothing to say but that doesn't stop her saying it--and saying it a great deal. Of course her nearly endless stream of lyrics helps to cover up the music which feels like something she doesn't invest any effort on any more. She should have stopped a decade ago."
Best Production since Choirgirl
Daniel Ting | Austin, TX USA | 03/10/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I thought Tori had lost it when I heard this album for the first time. But then again, that was what happened with American Doll Posse, and I've come to love most of ADP. Pretty much the same thing has happened with Abnormally Attracted to Sin. AATS is Tori's most intriguing album to date, conceptually speaking. Yes, even more than Strange Little Girls - everyone knows what Tori was going for with that album, even if it was a little tricky, musically speaking. With AATS I'm not really seeing any sort of direction - but then one could also say that about the significance of the gardens on the Beekeeper, or the choirgirls in From the Choirgirl Hotel, or what Tori was trying to do with referencing Venus on To Venus and Back. I have this nagging feeling Tori doesn't really know herself why all the albums come together the way they do.
According to Tori, the inspiration for this album was watching the noir-ish short films that Christian Lamb took on her ADP tour, which she calls "visualettes." Personally, I found them a little bit boring and pointless, except for the fact that I got to see the other dolls in the visualettes, which was kind of nice. For example, in the "500 Miles" visualette, you see all five of the dolls. That visualette and the "Curtain Call" visualette were my favorites. But I'll get to the music.
The album is confusing also because it goes through so many different styles of music. In this album, she's used the most synths and sampled sounds (on the forefront) to date. "Give" sounds like something from a trip-hop album, like something Portishead would do. "Strong Black Vine" starts to border onto classic rock - not as angry as "Teenage Hustling" but certainly a darker force. "Flavor" is the song Tori should have done instead of covering "I'm Not In Love" on Strange Little Girls - it reminds one of a Japanese tribal dance. Then you have "Fire To Your Plain," which is full of country-influenced 'saddle up, boys' drum kicks and guitar licks. You also have "That Guy," which sounds like a wistful cabaret song.
Personally, I think Tori finally got the producer part right. Not to say her past albums weren't well produced - I just think AATS is the most well-produced one so far, especially since FTCH. Venus was too overproduced and experimental, SLG was a little too bare and insular, Scarlet's Walk was too stylistically homogeneous, TBK was too raw and ran the risk of sounding lethargic, and ADP took the whole musical democracy idea too far and compromised her voice and piano. I know all the EWF are going to hate me now, but I'm only saying this in comparison to AATS; Tori is still a genius and her music is still the best--and despite my critiques on her past albums, they were all wonderful.
My favorites are:
Flavor
Lady In Blue
Fast Horse
I loved "Flavor" and "Fast Horse" (an uptempo song which almost has this Celtic feel, but in a sort of grunge-y way) from the very beginning, and still think they are the more outstanding tracks on the album. Lady In Blue took a while to sink in, but after watching the live performances of the song I grew to love it. "Curtain Call" is the only song where I feel like the production did it more harm than good, because the live performances of it are so much better.
There are also some really bizarre songs, like "Mary Jane," which I think is more appropriate for her to play during her shows, not in an album. I don't really want to hear the words "puberty" or "hydrocannabinolisomerdranabinol" (however you spell that) in a song, thank you. "Police Me" is a little weird, with its bubbly synths and clanging beats, but I've come to love it for that very same reason (typical of her music).
Despite the mystery shrouding Tori's intentions for this album, I think it deserves a listen for the curious. In some ways, it doesn't show you anything new about Tori - after all, it covers all the styles of music she's ever done (and more), but in some ways, it's another album by Tori to make you dig deeper into your soul than the last."
And She Gets Better
Lori A. Ross | 08/12/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The only thing that almost kept this album from five stars is that the few songs that aren't good, really aren't good. However, the album overall is one of the best things Tori Amos has done so far. The music, lyrics, and vocals are all solid throughout. Every once in a while there's a track that could have been an out take from The Beekeeper, but those are few and far between. Also, the good ones make up for it.
Abnormally Attracted to Sin followed American Doll Posse in a more rock-oriented direction than albums like Scarlets Walk and The Beekeeper, and it works for Tori. It's closer to From the Choirgirl Hotel, but without the constant depression.
Give - 2/5. This wasn't the best opener for this album, in my opinion.
Welcome to England - 5/5. I didn't like it at first, but it really grew on me.
Strong Black Vine - 5/5. Amazing song. Maybe my favorite on the album.
Flavor - 4/5. A change of pace, but a nice one. I think it goes on a little longer than it needed to though.
Not Dying Today - 5/5. Perfect.
Maybe California - 0/5.
Curtain Call - 5/5. Beautiful piano balad.
Fire to Your Plain - 2/5.
Police Me - 3/5. This is not one of the better tracks, but it's still very good. And honestly I just think there's something sexy about this song . . .
That Guy - 5/5. It's a different sound for Tori and it works.
Abnormally Attracted to Sin - 2/5. The title track falls short.
500 Miles - 5/5. A catchy little love song. And Tori's voice sounds beautiful here.
Mary Jane - 4/5. It's about exactly what you would think it's about. Her sense of humor gets to come out a lot here.
Starling - 4/5. An eerie little song, but so beautiful.
Fast Horse - 3.5/5.
Ophelia - 3/5. Kind of slow and goes on too long.
Lady in Blue - 4/5. The further you go into this song, the better it gets. The problem with it is that sometimes it's hard to wait out the whole seven minutes.
"
Almost A Return To Form
Nicholas Miah | Sydney, Australia | 10/02/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"With Abnormally Attracted To Sin, Amos' tenth album, Amos continues to explore new ground and a variety of musical styles on this 72 minute epic. With genres ranging from rock to alternative to electronica to jazz, this LP presents a very diverse body of work, as did her previous album, 2007's 'American Doll Posse'. Older fans may be continued to be put off with the fact that she may not wear her heart on her sleeve as much as she used to on albums such as 'Little Earthquakes' or 'Boys For Pele', and is utilising the piano (the instrument that almost defines her public perception) much less. Amos has repeatedly stated that she wishes to separate her public life from her private life, and this is shown by her lyrics frequently being presented in third person. This is also evidenced by her inspiration from a variety of outside influences; such as the 2008 Economic Crisis, or simply from her experiences talking to fans that attend her shows.
The album begins with 'Give', her best opener since `Spark' (from 1998's 'From the Choirgirl Hotel'). It opens with a trip-hop-esque beat before the piano chords kick in, and subsequently Amos' vocals, who exploits the lower end of her vocal range flawlessly. By observing the album's artwork (which is almost reminiscent of a photo shoot), and the album's cover, the record opens exactly what the listener would imagine: A dark, seductive, and slow piece with lyrics such as "There are some give blood, I give love." The bpm rises with the lead single 'Welcome to England', which wouldn't sound out of place on 1999's `To Venus and Back'. The song tells of a person who leaves her place state or country of origin, and all things associated with it, to live with her lover. 'Strong Black Vine' follows, and is related to the influence of Islam has on most Eastern countries. This subject matter is not surprising given the lyrical content of her previous work. It features a string octet, and the instrumentation used, however, is a departure from her previous work, but nevertheless works. 'Flavor' is a slow electronica song which explores similar lyrical themes and can also be likened to `To Venus and Back'. 'Not Dying Today' is significantly more upbeat and positive than the previous tracks, but the corny lyrics and cliché instrumentation makes this track without a doubt the weakest on this record. Happy Phantom, The Wrong Band, Wednesday, and the interludes from some of her previous works demonstrate that she can successfully compose light/fun songs, however on this piece she definitely fails. I'd really like to know what she was thinking. This is followed by a very melancholic ballad `Maybe California', which also makes use of a string octet. This song is almost the polar opposite to the previous piece (like in two contrasting movements for classical pieces), and as such, some have questioned its positioning on the album. I agree with them--the placement doesn't really work. Tori speaks of a mother contemplating suicide, and on its own it is one of her best ballads from the new decade. The players are excellent.
The next third of the album begins with `Curtain Call', where Tori looks back on her musical career, and contains some of her most effective lyrics on the album. It is this track which sounds overall most like her previous work. `Fire To Your Plain' is the next track and reminded me of 2005's `The Beekeeper' but it makes greater use of production techniques and is more synthesised. It is one of her fun/quirky tracks, but unlike 'Not Dying Today', this is a welcome addition on this album. `Police Me' is quite an experimental song with it's polymetric meter and odd lyrics. It seems to be about the implications of technological advances on one's social liberties, but who really knows. The musical that Amos is currently in clearly provided an influence for the next track, `That Guy', which contains elements from theatre with its use of string and lines such as `Will we make up? Will we break up?' combined with Amos' vocal stylings. The piece crescendos until the very end, and again breaks new ground for the artist. The title track follows, and the production is up there with Amos' best (note that she has been producing her albums herself since her 1996 masterpiece `Boys For Pele'). The song also explores the album's quasi-concept of religion and has one of her most effective bridges ever (something that has been greatly missed in the 2000's). '500 Miles' is another light-hearted pop song (bringing the tally to 3--with 'Not Dying Today' and 'Fire To Your Plain'), and in terms of quality falls in the middle of the two. So far I cannot see any significant artistic value, although the climax at the end of the piece is done very well and has some redeeming features. However, at over 4:00 it takes too long to get there.
The last third of the album is where the album really takes off. Beginning with the delightful 'Mary Jane', she speaks of a teenage boy who tries to convince his mother to stay at a girl's house over the weekend although really only wants to smoke pot! I can see this working really well live, and musically is quite different since it's only vocal and piano (her first since `Toast' from 2005's `The Beekeeper'). This is another light/fun song, which brings the tally up to four on this album--a little too much, although this one is definitely one of the album's assets. `Starling' begins just beautifully with it's muted guitars (quite the contrast to her last record), and is one of her most transcendent songs, and has a lovely bridge seems with a strong Beatles' influence. No question the most emotionally affecting track on this album and one of the best. 'Fast Horse' is another flawless song and makes great use of loud verses and a soft chorus. It also features a variety of time signatures, which always work brilliantly with Amos. 'Ophelia' follows and is one of the few tracks here to feature piano at the forefront. One of her best ballads of the 2000's. The closing track features a strong jazz influence, and showcases Amos at her absolute best. It is a seven minute epic and it hasn't been since 1994's underrated `Under The Pink' where the listener has been taken on such a long journey during the closing track! Strong imagery is used, as you can almost imagine Amos singing this at a bar in the 1950's, and the lyrical motifs are continues with lines such as "Boys play well after midnight. Can I join you?" The album closes with a huge climax during the last few minutes and finishing the album bold and triumphantly, like any good album should. A bonus track `Oscar's Theme' is included on the UK and Australian editions of this album, and I always listen to this after 'Lady In Blue finishes. It is the 'calm after the storm' and makes the album feel complete, so I always listen to the 18-track version.
Amos shows that she can still create very high quality albums 17 years into her career. However she is a radically different artist now, and the piano has taken a much less active role since `Scarlet's Walk' (2002), but her musicianship is definitely still there. Although I was sceptical of the length of the album at first (her 4th consecutive album over 70 minutes), she has delivered an almost flawless album and is her best since 1998's 'From The Choirgirl Hotel'. Readers must realise, however, that she has almost impossible standards to live up to (namely the first four albums). This is Tori's best album this decade and I remain confident that this will be looked upon far more highly in the next 5-10+ years. It is unlikely that she will ever be able to create an album as good as the first four classics (very, very few artists are able to make even one album of such quality), however after the relative artistic slump following 2005's 'The Beekeeper' this release shows that she is continuing to improve, and I can't wait for her next project. (I use the term relative because unlike many other fans I am still a *huge* defender of albums such as 'The Beekeeper' and 'American Doll Posse' (2007) despite the fact that they rank lowly in the Tori Amos canon). My expectations were vastly exceeded with this release and I don't have enough positive things to say about it, in spite of its minor flaws.
The DVD portion is nice, and gives an insight to what mood Tori wanted to create for each song, but it not a necessity.
5 stars.
(Note: The review for the CD portion of this product was written and published on this site on May 30, 2009).
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1
![Midwinter Graces [CD/DVD Combo]](https://nationalbookswap.com/cd//m/52/2052/1672052.jpg)
