Tori Amos

Of the dozens of reviews I found over the weekend, a trend seems to reveal itself:
The “critics” are only mixed to a certain degree, with the majority of them claiming American Doll Posse as Tori Amos’ best work since insert favorite album here. A lot of the reviews say that Scarlett’s Walk and The Beekeeper were “too heavy,” that Strange Little Girls was too… well… strange, and that people were losing faith in Tori’s ability to compose/perform like she used to. The main complaints about this album have been stated as having “too much conceptual malarkey” from Rolling Stone , and this from a lengthy review on Pop Matters (American Doll Posse) is a little bit too bogged down with its sometimes preachy, non-descript politics and too many of the usual suspects in the mix.

This came as a surprise to me (although not completely), which is why I enjoyed researching what people are saying about this album. I have never really paid attention to the critics in any arena. Film, books and music are highly personal and although a mention of something coming out may draw my attention, I certainly don’t let what someone else thinks sway my decision to see/read/listen to anything. So to read all these people saying they thought Tori was slipping, that motherhood may have been taking too much out of her, etc, etc was a wake up call, of sorts.

Most likely because I have a sort of blind faith in what Tori does. I may not understand it, or even necessarily enjoy every note of every song on every album, but she resonates such integrity that I at least respect her journey; as well her willingness to share her journey with the rest of the world, as I’ve mentioned before. And so, I normally buy her albums in spite of whatever the critics or users are saying.

The other trend that emerged was the user reviews were almost all between 8-10 on a 10-point scale. The actual people out there who are listening to this album are totally satisfied and even excited about the 9th studio album from Tori Amos. One user from this website put it quite well:

At first listen, its good. Second, its too heady, you sense she’s tried to hard. Third time, you still sense its worthiness. Fourth, you get it. Fifth listen and then on its a guilty pleasure and you’re hooked.

Metacritic’s website also has a handy break-down of what the main critics are rating this album.

Spin Magazine says “No longer just singing to the converted, this consummate cult icon now sounds committed to taking on the world.”

Whatever the case, people are talking about this album. They are talking about the album AND the tour, which is proving to be a fantastic display of Tori’s talent and creativity. I can’t wait until her U.S. Tour dates are posted, and I can only hope that she come further south than West Palm Beach this time…

Tori Amos, American Doll Posse, Review, Spin, Rolling Stone, Metacritic, Critics, User Reviews