KEY POINTS:
On her ninth album Tori Amos attempts to "reclaim the segmented pieces of the female psyche" by representing the points of view of five characters. The gimmicky concept confirms her self-indulgent streak and doesn't make this sprawling effort any easier to digest.
But if you persist, there are enough killer moments to suggest Amos has finally returned to a form not seen since From the Choirgirl Hotel. Whether it's the surging pop force of Bouncing Off Clouds, the bluesy beef of Big Wheel or the sexy swagger of Body and Soul, Amos makes a solid start that suggests she's been having a ball cranking the guitars in that English farmhouse of hers.
She's also at her best on the ethereal tracks that hark back to classic 90s Tori, like the string-soaked Girl Disappearing, the hushed ballad Father's Son or the cinematic Smokey Joe.
At 20 tracks, it suffers from plenty of filler, and occasionally her trademark anger sounds forced. Nowhere is that more apparent than on the thankfully short interlude, Fat Slut where Amos sounds like she's literally exorcising a demon. There's also a sharp opening message to the US president on Yo George that could have been left out. A few DIY tweaks and edits in the iPod however and Amos has a winner.
Verdict: Sprawling return to form for self-confessed MILF of pop
Label: Epic
