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~~MicShazam~~ · 08-28-2018, 02:31 PM

Artist: Tori Amos
Album title: Abnormally Attracted to Sin
Year: 2009
Album link: https://open.spotify.com/album/4MPDYyzBRzspZvv8q84S1V

This album single handedly changed my musical tastes and set off a chain reaction that led to where I am now.

If discovering Metallica was what came to define my musical tastes as a teen and a young man, the discovery of Tori Amos showed me the direction I needed to move in as I was slowly growing out of what had made the most sense to me as a teen.

One thing led to another: I discovered artists loosely related to Tori Amos; then artists related to those, and so on. Then, having adjusted to new sounds over time, I started hearing other genres with new ears and that brings me to 2018.

Tori Amos

This album approaches the singer/songwriter tradition from a pretty odd angle. The songs on here vary quite a bit in style and some of them have various slight hard rock, prog rock, blues or electronica influences seeping through the cracks. Some tracks are way more like what you might expect this album to sound like if you don't know Tori Amos, but know the genre. Amos was always pretty unique in her musical approach, so it doesn't always feel right to just label her "singer/songwriter" and let that be done with.

I'm thinking about what I love about this album. It's somehow not easier to figure out when you've known an album for nearly a decade. I think that, basically, it comes down to the songs being really solid and memorable and down to how I like the vibe of the album. Like a lot of Tori Amos' material, the songs have a melancholy tinge and that trademark voice that some describe (quite unjustly) as "shrill". I love that icy cold voice with that unmistakable Southern twang. She's got certain vocal "tics" that you will either get along with or not. But that's probably the case for most notable singers. Check out the song "Curtain Call" for a song that will confront you with Tori's voice in all of it's glory. You'll figure out then if you can get on board with this or not.

I also love how this album has generally quite full sounding instrumentation, like a rock album. Electric bass and lots of layering. A lot of singer/songwriter albums are sonically sparse - which can of course be great - but I do like the way the production on these songs envelops you like a warm blanket of sound.

Some will take issue with the considerable length (17 songs, minus one bonus track) of this album - something that is business as usual for Tori - but I don't mind. There's not any song on here that I'd like to leave off. Damn good album, and of some significance to me in terms of my personal musical history.

Highlights:
Give
Flavor
Curtain Call
Fire to Your Plain
Abnormally Attracted to Sin
Police Me
Lady in Blue
Fast Horse

08-28-2018, 02:31 PM	#30 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,636	Artist: Tori Amos Album title: Abnormally Attracted to Sin Year: 2009 Album link: https://open.spotify.com/album/4MPDYyzBRzspZvv8q84S1V This album single handedly changed my musical tastes and set off a chain reaction that led to where I am now. If discovering Metallica was what came to define my musical tastes as a teen and a young man, the discovery of Tori Amos showed me the direction I needed to move in as I was slowly growing out of what had made the most sense to me as a teen. One thing led to another: I discovered artists loosely related to Tori Amos; then artists related to those, and so on. Then, having adjusted to new sounds over time, I started hearing other genres with new ears and that brings me to 2018. Tori Amos This album approaches the singer/songwriter tradition from a pretty odd angle. The songs on here vary quite a bit in style and some of them have various slight hard rock, prog rock, blues or electronica influences seeping through the cracks. Some tracks are way more like what you might expect this album to sound like if you don't know Tori Amos, but know the genre. Amos was always pretty unique in her musical approach, so it doesn't always feel right to just label her "singer/songwriter" and let that be done with. I'm thinking about what I love about this album. It's somehow not easier to figure out when you've known an album for nearly a decade. I think that, basically, it comes down to the songs being really solid and memorable and down to how I like the vibe of the album. Like a lot of Tori Amos' material, the songs have a melancholy tinge and that trademark voice that some describe (quite unjustly) as "shrill". I love that icy cold voice with that unmistakable Southern twang. She's got certain vocal "tics" that you will either get along with or not. But that's probably the case for most notable singers. Check out the song "Curtain Call" for a song that will confront you with Tori's voice in all of it's glory. You'll figure out then if you can get on board with this or not. I also love how this album has generally quite full sounding instrumentation, like a rock album. Electric bass and lots of layering. A lot of singer/songwriter albums are sonically sparse - which can of course be great - but I do like the way the production on these songs envelops you like a warm blanket of sound. Some will take issue with the considerable length (17 songs, minus one bonus track) of this album - something that is business as usual for Tori - but I don't mind. There's not any song on here that I'd like to leave off. Damn good album, and of some significance to me in terms of my personal musical history. Highlights: Give Flavor Curtain Call Fire to Your Plain Abnormally Attracted to Sin Police Me Lady in Blue Fast Horse Last edited by MicShazam; 08-28-2018 at 02:39 PM.