What does Tori Amos sound like?

An emotionally charged piano-wielding tour-de-force – this time aimed at children.

The review of ‘The Music of Tori and the Muses’ by Tori Amos

Tori Amos has dabbled in books before. Whilst ‘Piece by Piece’ in 2005 was penned with Ann Powers, her 2020 ‘Resistance’ had Tori in full writer’s flow. Whilst they were both books about Tori’s career and the lifeblood behind her songs, and 2008’s ‘Comicbook Tattoo’ turned her songs into graphic novels, ‘Tori and the Muses’ is a far simpler affair. Aimed at children from 3-6 years old (and clearly Tori fans as adults too), this story focuses on finding your passion as a child and cultivating it. Whilst the book is a streamlined short story, with beautiful digital illustrations from Demelsa Haughton, it is the album that supports the book, where the creativity of Tori’s world is truly explored.

The nine tracks on ‘The Music of Tori and the Muses’ feel like a wild wheelhouse of ideas that show an artist still exploring new ideas into her 60s. Whist lyrically, this album is the most direct Tori Amos record to date, sonically, this is one of the most expansive. I didn’t expect anything phoned in, but I was impressed at just how playful and surprising the song arrangements are.

After a warm introduction with the silky smooth ‘Knocking’, we truly get underway with the clockwork prepared piano engines of ‘Day and Night (from the Faerie Workshop)’. The book follows Tori’s muses creating a magic piano for her, and sonically the song explores all the guts of the piano, making new sounds with them. On top of that, all kinds of jingly jangly percussion is toyed with, around commanding and bewitching full band moments. It is the experimental side of the music I’ve hoped for since a personal favourite TV interview took place following Tori and Hauschka piano shopping at night. Hauschka threw all kinds of things on top of a piano and began tweaking with it, and Tori stood back marvelling at the magic. Prepared pianos are not new to Tori, but this experimental guts-and-all approach is. The sound suits Tori’s mood perfectly, and I’d love to hear more of it.

The next two tracks could easily slot onto any of Tori’s last few albums. ‘Building a Mountain’ is a dynamic and powerful building into a pacey finale that lets the piano and percussion rip from the halfway point. Tori’s voice stays quite ethereal and low in the mix, letting the instruments take over and soar higher and bolder. It works a treat. ‘Insect Ballet’ merges together some of Tori’s orchestral and stage era with a sumptuous wind and string opening half, layered with lush guitars. The heady, psychedelic nature of the opening half gives way to a rhythmic, hypnotic powerhouse of slamming drums and riotous piano. You can hear motifs from live performances and a free-flowing drama escaping through every pore of ‘Insect Ballet’, and it’s quickly become a quintessential Tori Amos song in my humble opinion. Think Ocean to Ocean with a tiny Pele lava overflow on simmer and you’ve got it.

‘Anna’s Bakery’ continues Amos’s love of food. Aside from agreeing that red velvet cupcakes rock, this is a Beatles song and matches the 2000s era. From the dreamy Beekeeper-esque elegance of the bridge to the more curious AATS-esque and almost Arabian snake charmer chord structure of the verses, it is a song that grows upon each listen. ‘Mermaid Muse Speaks’ has Tori speaking in an unknown made-up tongue over rolling piano rumbles, guitar harmonics and double bass. There is nothing remotely like this in the Tori Amos catalogue. If ‘The Pool’ decided it was ‘The Tsunami’ and came dressed to drench you in aeons of wisdom. Creativity at its finest.

Then, in easily the moment 180 moment I’ve heard in a while, ‘Spike’s Lament’ is a fully committed Southern country track. A strident beat, blaring snappy brass, thick as molasses blues organs, and a twangy guitar. By going all heels and spurs in, it works and feels sincere. Speaking of sincere, ‘Rain Brings Change’ feels like a lost Tori track. The pizzicato strings, long-tailed noodling guitar, lamenting and sympathetic piano, and Tori’s layered vocals – it feels nostalgic. The album feels like a mini retrospective at times, and the hidden nods in the book’s illustrations seem to align with this to some degree, too. This is the Little Earthquakes / Under the Pink era track. The album closes with ‘S’Magic Day’. For some reason, this track reminds me heavily of Midwinter Graces – and specifically the track ‘Jeanette, Isabella’. It has the same unfolding flow to it, like a cascading staff roll of music of creativity and dreams. It is a warm and uplifting way to end the album.

I didn’t expect so many absolute bangers to be in a “children’s album” but here we are. In some ways, this is art informing life, informing art. The book is all about finding your muse, be it music, baking, surfing, or running an insect ballet. In telling the story, Tori Amos seems to have unlocked a new vault of ideas to explore. Whether it’s new sonics, new languages, new genres, or new ways to play an existing instrument, this album feels invigorated and full-bodied. This album for kids has a story for all ages.

Recommended track: Insect Ballet

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