Boys for Pele is an album to remember. A major change from her first two albums – Little Earthquake and its follow up, Under the Pink – Boys is a massive emotional undertaking. To bring you up to speed, Tori Amos had a messy break-up and she decided to write songs about it – the best thing, in my opinion.

There are two parts in Boys for Pele: the really-pissed-off part and the moving-on-but-still-really-pissed-off half. The album starts off with the really-pissed-off part and eventually works itself into acceptance – though not without pangs of heartbreak. An amazing emotional epic, Boys will be understood and appreciated by all, from Pele’s – a Hawaiian volcano goddess’ – eruption, its casualties, its cooling, and finally its containment as a twinkle.

Tori Amos used the rawness of heartache to her advantage, and boy does it hurt. It’s like an open wound that itches; two stubborn things: your wound and you. Your wound won’t close. You keep scratching.

Like many, I feel that the first half of Boys for Pele is more accessible than the second half. It makes sense though – heartbreak is universal, emotional healing is more abstract and difficult to achieve. The question is, do you want to listen to emotional torment or attempts at emotional healing? Either way, I beg you – and I beg you kneeling with clasped hands – to listen to this. It will take a few spins but by god! this album is the best. It’s a perfect storm, an idealized emotional epic that always inches me into its depths, making me yearn to experience it myself. Contented or depressed, I always find reasons to reach for this album. I will never stop consuming this album. Moving on has never been so difficult.

Listen to (if I really had to choose) : Blood Roses, Professional Widow, Mr. Zebra, Hey Jupiter, Way Down, In the Springtime of His Voodoo, Putting the Damage On, Twinkle

The exploration of boundaries, most erected by the idea of sin, is prevalent in Abnormally Attracted to Sin. It’s a religious exploration that beg people to be aware of the sometimes illogical boundaries placed by religion, something that Tori Amos have been doing ever since her first appearance in Little Earthquakes.

Tori Amos was known for her ‘girl on piano’ sound accompanied by sharp, idiosyncratic, and sometimes tough lyrics. Though a complete discography is needed to understand her growth as an artist and the eventual conception of this album, one can do that on their own time if they wish. Abnormally Attracted to Sin is a definite change with a prevalent trip-hop sound that may be better than what Portishead can dish out. It is a culmination of what an artist Tori Amos is so far, but tamed in the lyrics department.

It would seem that that Tori’s ability to compile a tight-knit set of songs have gone out the window. Her last album, American Doll Posse, was crippled by its length: 23 songs that span an hour and 20 minutes. Seeing that Abnormally Attracted to Sin has a smaller number of songs – though still a massive 17 – I was concerned. After 3 spins, I was hooked. Though definitely not classic Tori, this album is quite arresting. It’s a bit quiet but not boring.

Perhaps this quiet is associated with the visualettes that sparked the creation of this album, as background music? In any case, I haven’t watched the visualettes so I can’t really assess it. The album is good by itself anyway: I was playing it for weeks, and I have a short attention span for music. I recommend this to anyone, though I know Tori’s not to get a mass of new listeners anytime soon.

Listen to: Strong Black Vine, Fire to Your Plain, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, Lady in Blue