blankpage's Full Review: From the Choirgirl Hotel by Tori Amos
Tori Amos' fourth album takes the beautiful melodies and pianos that are prevalent on her previous albums, and combines them with lots of layered tracks and rhythms. Choirgirl holds the same contrasting angry and delicate attitudes that were constant in 1996's Boys For Pele, but now the music is more defined, the drums are heavier, and piano isn't always the main instrument you hear.
The album begins with "Spark", a great and fully layered song with the sort of lyrics and vocals that Tori Amos is recognized for. The next track is "Cruel", a less energetic but equally intriguing song that has an album Portishead-esque feel to it. She confidently lets lyrics like "Even the rain is sharp like today as you sh-sh-shock me sane" naturally slide from her tongue. "Block-Dove (January)" goes back to Amos' standard piano oriented formula, and the music is great.
The only weak moment in the album is "Raspberry Swirl" a strange techolike dance song that doesn't fit at all between two great piano tunes. "iieee" is another great and innovative moment in the record, featuring Amos desperately belting "I know we're dying/and there's no sign of a parachute". "She's Your Cocaine" is a great song with a driving rhythm track that is accented by a sudden chance in style and tempo. The finest track on the album doesn't come until the 9th song, "Northern Lad". This song is up there with "Hey Jupiter" and "Silent All These Years" as one of her best piano songs. The lyrics and vocals and instruments fuse to form something beautiful and breathtaking.
From the Choirgirl Hotel closes with two of it's finest songs, both of them more simplistic in layering. "Playboy Mommy" is another vocal and instrumental triumph, and "Pandora's Aquarium" occasionally has a jazzy feel to it. She sings strangely high notes and equally low ones to create a sound unlike any other track on the album, and a great way to end a curiously diverse and ambitious record.
Fans of Amos' previous endeavors will easily fall in love with Choirgirl, and this is an album that can easily be appreciated by people who enjoy contemplative or emotionally driven music.
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