NEWSFLASH: Tori Amos To Release Seasonal Album!

After nearly two decades writing and recording some of her generation’s most emotionally powerful music, Tori Amos will release her first seasonal album, Midwinter Graces, on November 10 via Universal Republic Records. A follow up to Tori’s critically acclaimed studio album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, Midwinter Graces will find Tori reworking and expanding on classic carols as well as developing some of her very own seasonal tracks.
 
Midwinter Graces is an album that has been in the making for the past 40 years. Raised in the Baltimore area under the watchful eye of her Methodist minister father, Tori grew up playing holiday carols at Sunday services and Christmas Day celebrations in her father’s church. These were the songs that gave a young Tori her first taste of music, and now almost 40 years later Tori gets her own chance to reimagine classics like “What Child, Nowell” and “Star of Wonder.” Tori will also add her own bittersweet bliss to the season with original tracks like “Pink and Glitter” and “Our New Year.”
For Midwinter Graces, Amos has again teamed up with long time collaborators Matt Chamberlain on drums, Jon Evans on bass, and Mac Aladdin on guitars. Tori has enlisted the help of a Big Band and an Orchestra with stunning John Philip Shenale arrangements to create Tori’s new seasonal classics.

TORI AMOS – Abnormally Attracted To Sin

A new Tori Amos album is always greeted with a mix of excitement and apprehension. You’re always guaranteed an interesting experience, but on more than one occasion (including on most recent album American Doll Posse), Amos has released an album that takes some effort to grow to love. So, id this the case here? Well, yes and no, the album is a little on the long side and could do with a bit of trimming here and there, but the songs themselves are, on the whole, easily accessible and very memorable. Long term Amos fans will be used to this, but for those new to Tori’s music this is actually a pretty good starting point, with it’s hodge-podge of styles. ‘Strong Black Vine’ is classic Amos, the theme of religious imagery and men being regularly visited throughout her work, while ‘Welcome To England’ is musically so typical as to be almost a pastiche. It’s impressive though, that she makes the seven plus minutes of light jazz on ‘Lady In Blue’ so enjoyable. So, if you’re a fan already you’ll know what to expect, and if you’ve not dipped into her back catalogue, this is the ideal point to start at.

SINGLES CORNER!

It’s a mixed bag in singles review corner, but that’s the way we like it. Hopping from one genre to another, stopping just long enough to sample something new then going on about our ways. So lets see what we’ve got for you this week

MR BONES AND THE DREAMERS – Are These Actual Miles?

A touching acoustic tune with folksy overtones, the driving drums propel this to almost anthemic levels, though the vocals could do with holding back a little more at times to add some subtlety to proceedings. There’s plenty of potential here though. B-side ‘Time To Rest’ is the better of the two tracks here, majestic and interesting, it make me excited for the future of these guys!

BILLY NEWTON DAVIS vs. DEADMAU5 – All You Ever Want

Canadian vocalist Billy Newton Davis is a former Juno award winner, but with dance label Play Records he’s found a new lease of life. With veteran knob-twiddler Deadmau5 mashing the vocals across a chilled out beat this is sure to be a summer party anthem, in fact I can picture it playing out over video of teenagers stumbling through the streets of southern Spain. There are seven(!) remixes here too, so there’s a version for every occasion.

…AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD – Isis Unveiled

This follows the standard AYWKUBTTOD (I’m damned if I’m typing that name again) format, starting out as an epically grandiose rock track with hints of prog rock. It descends into murky depths soon enough though, swilling around before launching itself back up to arena music heights. Yes, it’s a little formulaic, but when the formula works, and when the tunes are this good, why switch?

TORI AMOS – Welcome To England

Opening with a harsh electronic beat, this threw me for a couple of seconds until the piano broke in. A little more restrained than a lot of the baroque pop tunes Tori has leant toward on recent albums, this is more simple, perhaps a throwback to her earlier work. If nothing else it’s a catchy single that rewards repeated listens!

NEWSFLASH: New Tori Amos album on the way!

New Album “Abnormally Attracted To Sin” released on May 18th on Island Records. Plus one-off acoustic show at London’s Savoy Theatre – April 27th.
 
“I wanted to make a treasure, something people will value”, says Tori Amos on her stunning new album ‘Abnormally Attracted To Sin’ – released on her new label Island Records, on May 18th.
 
“AATS” is indeed a treasure. An elaborate feast made from home-grown stock, offered up to a generation fed on small meals made with cheap ingredients.  “AATS” is Amos at her most passionate and most comfortable. 
 
The album has a typically detailed and wide sound, dominated by dark, rich reds and hints of silver (“I want to make audio mescaline” Tori said).  The mood is dark but charged, like a late night conversation (or confession) held over several bottles of wine.
 
“AATS” (the title is taken from a line in “Guys & Dolls” spoken by the character Sarah Brown) is the work of someone who knows, with fierce certainty, what she believes in.  Anybody, whether it’s a newcomer or a lifelong member of Tori’s phenomenal fanbase, will feel that certainty.
 
The 18 tracks on “AATS” were recorded in Cornwall by Tori’s husband Mark Hawley and his partner Marcel Van Limbeek. They are:
Give / Welcome To England / Strong Black Vine / Flavour / Not Dying Today / Maybe California / Curtain Call / Fire To Your Plain / Police Me / That Guy / Abnormally Attracted To Sin / 500 Miles / Mary Jane / Starling / Fast Horse / Ophelia / Lady In Blue / Oscar’s Theme (bonus track – UK only).
 
There will be a covetable deluxe edition of the album which features a bonus DVD containing 16 “visualettes” directed by Christian Lamb (who filmed Tori and her band during the “American Doll Posse” tour).
 
A single, “Welcome To England” – taken from the album – will be released on May 25th.
 
Tori will be playing a one-off solo acoustic show at London’s Savoy Theatre on April 27th where she will be performing tracks from “AATS” as well as songs from her back-catalogue.

http://www.myspace.com/toriamos