If anyone can turn rock upside down with a piano, it's Tori Amos.
Known
to her legions of fans for personal, piano-driven art rock that recalls
the best of Kate Bush, Amos has taken a left turn with "From The
Choirgirl Hotel," creating her own version of a genuine rock and roll
album.
Recorded live with an accompanying
drummer and bassist, this
album packs more sonic punch that any of her previous efforts, relying
on
rhythm as much as impressionistic melodies. The first single,
'Spark,'
is a dreamy waltz that builds up to some awesome keyboard hammering
from
Amos herself and a rousing bit of choir singing. 'Cruel' sounds
like
Tricky could have done the beat (he didn't) while 'Raspberry Swirl'
flirts with dance rhythms. But that's not to say that she's turned
her
back on the haunting, emotionally direct style that's made her an
international sensation: 'Black-Dove (January)' is a full-on,
Tori's-in-the-chapel ballad, unapologetically grand and passionate.
Through it all, Amos spells
out--indirectly but
powerfully--what it's like to grapple with the demons of womanhood,
life
and hope. Full of music that affirms her place as one of the
most
important artists of her generation, "From The Choirgirl Hotel" shows
Tori Amos charging ahead without reservation, taking chances and making
good old-fashioned rock in her own unmistakable way.