NHT! Music Review: Tori Amos - Abnormally Attracted To Sin

For many Toriphiles out there (of which I am proudly one), there has come something of an expectation that seems to haunt every new album Tori Amos puts out and this has never been more so than with her tenth studio album to date Abnormally Attracted To Sin. Where 2007's American Doll Posse pushed boundaries of contemporary music by splitting the vocal personalities of the album into five distinct characters, all performing their own sections and backing up other sections for other characters, it seems that Tori is once more playing it straight—so to speak—with only one voice speaking for each of the 17 girls (what she calls her songs) on this album. Still skewing strongly toward concept album territory, this album is literally dripping with usual Tori fare as she expounds large upon her old slants on religious truths and the roles of women and sin in postmodern society.
More straightforward than the lengthy exposition that was American Doll Posse, Abnormally Attracted To Sin still managed to beguile listeners as much as any of her work has done in the past. Though I truly doubt (and secretly hope) that we will never again see the Tori Amos of Boys For Pele or From the Choirgirl Hotel (she’s just too damned tragedy-free and successful now) there are moments on the current album that seem to almost echo those bygone days in sound if not in substance. The opening track “Give” and the later “Flavor” and “Police Me” evoke To Venus and Back with their slinky trip-hoppy vibe and “Welcome to England” could easily be a track on Scarlet’s Walk.” The mournful ballad of love lost “Maybe California” could be a lost track off From the Choirgirl Hotel a la “Northern Lad” while the piano backed siren call of “Curtain Call” draws on “Hey Jupiter” for its inspiration but that doesn’t save the track from being boring . The high cinema James Bond orchestration of “Strong Black Vine” is a welcome change in style as Tori seems to be making phallic references in her own inimitable fashion. The most engaging song on the album is the sultry anthem "Lady In Blue" which Tori should definitely work into her live show for it's ability to lend itself to the improvisation she is so keen on live like "God" and "Sugar" before it. Don’t be fooled, however. Abnormally Attracted to Sin is no light fare. Tori is still the cunning linguist she has always been ( from "Strong Black Vine"Submission is my mission/for a strong black vine/You just might see that sweet Jesus) and there are a number of turns-of-phrases mixed with requisite Toriisms that will make even the most obsessed fan do a double take. On top of that the songs zigzag stylistically and the album could easily be shaved down by four or five songs. Despite how much we may enjoy Tori Amos (and there is plenty to enjoy on this album), there are several points in the seventy-five or so minutes of music that you kind of zone away and forget that it is playing (Drop the ubiquitous “Not Dying Today”, “Curtain Call” and perhaps even the very boring “That Guy” to begin with ) and the piano seems to be taking the back seat to the backing band too much of the time. Not her best, but hey: At least it’s not The Beekeeper.