Great album, great message, but I’m now at the point where I must give Tori a break from the playlist.

Great album, great message, but I’m now at the point where I must give Tori a break from the playlist

Missed the memo, did we? Apparently it’s the 90s over again and all the old hip acts are coming out of the woodwork. This album’s fairly listenable – but with dozens of supa fresh the likes of Amy Winehouse and whatshername blowing oldsters clear outta the water, it would’ve been better if Tori and Bjork stayed retired. Half star for sheer effort, cmon, 23 tracks people! That’s gotta count for something right?

It’s been a week since I’ve been listening to American Doll Posse, Tori Amos’ latest album release. I must say I was quite determined to like this album, so I’ve been playing it quite a bit, taking note of each song that comes along.

I believe it is an album that has grown on me nonetheless, although I’ve had to approach it in different ways to get to it. For example, I couldn’t believe how long the album goes. The very first time I played it, I wondered when it was going to end. That was after the first dozen songs (there are 23 tracks). There were times when I had to replay the album from the middle, so that I can pay more attention to second half of the album (about where I usually get distracted on a big listen).

It’s been interesting getting to know the girls on the album, and trying to match the songs to each archetype. I did that at the beginning, but having been used to the melodies, I enjoy the album as it is now. I’ve also begun to fish out the lyrics, listening to what Tori has to say on this album.

I don’t think I’ve put that much effort into getting to know a new album, but I’ve giving Tori another chance. I always tell people that I usually only get an album when another one is released, and this one’s made me think of what a classic To Venus And Back has become, and for some reason, “Marys of the Sea” from The Beekeeper has been stuck in my head after listening to American Doll Posse all week.

It’s a departure from Tori’s old stuff, but her albums have always been different from her previous works, which can be refreshing yet in danger of banishment.

I must say I was expecting much more from the bonus DVD on this album. There are just 8 freaking minutes of video! No one’s even going to bother playing the bloody DVD for its bonus song, and the “Behind-The-Scenes” footage is worth just a single playback. It’s just the photo shoot of the posse, with absolutely no interviews or insights about the album. Get the bonus DVD edition if you’re a collector, or the normal edition if you’re on a budget.