Tori Amos
The Beekeeper
Tori Amos has been kooky from Day 1, but her last two albums–the weird covers disc “Strange Little Girls” and the proggy post-9/11 travelogue/concept album “Scarlet’s Walk”–pushed things further than all but the faithful are willing to swallow. At 19 songs and just shy of 80 minutes, “The Beekeeper” still feels a little much, but as a songwriter, Amos seems more focused on the strengths that made her popular to begin with. There are, of course, touches of soul (“Sweet the Sting” and “Witness”), hints of the whimsical (“Cars and Guitars”) and the usual pseudo-religious investigations (“Original Sinsuality”). But thankfully Amos is still plenty capable of offering intriguingly constructed and often simply beautiful songs such as “Parasol,” “Jamaica Inn” and the arty title track, among a startling many highlights.
Best track: “The Beekeeper,” menacing electronica topped with Amos’ quietly souring vocals.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale ([email protected]) and alBerto Trevino ([email protected])
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