Tori Amos
Abnormally Attracted to Sin
Two and a half stars
Universal Republic
Key Tracks: ‘Welcome to England,’ ‘Maybe California’
Jun 21, 2009
After splitting into five separate personalities for 2007’s American Doll Posse, Tori Amos pulls herself back together again on her latest. The result is a set of prog-inspired balladry with less bounce than her last disc. The plodding ”˜Strong Black Vine’ has Amos saving folks from ”˜that evil faith’ over strings straight out of Zeppelin’s ”˜Kashmir,’ and ”˜Police Me’ is a multitracked mess of percussion, orchestration and New Wave synth lines. Among the standouts: the ballad ”˜Maybe California,’ a tender show of empathy for a mother about to throw herself off a cliff.
