A great number of people are outraged by the songs that have leaked from Tori Amos's new album American Doll Posse. And I agree that the songs aren't that great. Big Wheel has embarrassing lyrics (I am an M.I.L.F), Secret Spill sounds like an outtake/reject from Little Earthquakes and I'm not exactly surprised. She probably increased our expectations exponentially with that controversial publicity shot of blood running down her legs and the word 'Shame' written on her hands, reminiscent of her publicity shots for Boys for Pele. But the songs aren't just living up to our new expectations.
Essentially, something seems different this time, but it's not a good kind of different. The whole campaign feels forced, as if Tori is giving us what she thinks we want instead of what she wants to do. When the tracklist has an interlude called Fat Slut, you can't help but cringe. She never used to be so blatant or crude with the titles of her songs. She used to come up with songs like Blood Roses, something shocking yet subtle at the same time (if you know what I mean). Maybe it's too soon to judge an album by the titles. But, I just wish she wouldn't try so hard to be hip, to be out there. There's no need to be.
Unlike some previously die-hard fans, I didn't have that big of an issue with the Adult Contemporary direction she took with her last 2 albums. Sure, her songs became less memorable, more cringe-worthy. But there were good/great songs in the last 2 albums and I always felt that the length of the album was the main bone of contention for me. Anyhow, I am a closet fan of Adult Contemporary so, I never really saw it as that big of a deal.
Perhaps the album will be great, sans these 2 tracks. Perhaps she will redeem herself with this album. Perhaps, she's got some trick up her sleeves and will blow us away, fans and ex-fans, with her new material. But I've come to the realization that she will never reach the heights that she scaled with Boys for Pele/Choirgirl. It's ok Tori. I'll aways have The Doughnut Song.
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2 comments:
Did you become a Tori fan during the Choirgirl period? I really love LE and UTP , but all the rest I could definitely live without. But I'm an old gen-X-er, and she helped me through college with lines like, "You're just an angry cage girl if you kill the bird.:
Well, I got into Tori fairly recently, about 3 years ago. My friend had introduced me into "Tales of a Librarian" and I liked it so much that I went to the nearest store and got the only Tori CD that was available "Blood Roses".
It was incredibly difficult to get into but once I got past it, it turned out to be really satisfying. Same with Choirgirl. I love both LE and UTP and I do feel that her first 4 albums are her strongest. I don't have much affinity to most of her material post-choirgirl, I'm just indifferent to most of it.
I was hoping that ADP would represent an upswing but now I'm not so certain. Time will tell I guess but I'm not getting my hopes up.
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