If you look up the word ?unique? in the dictionary of popdom you?ll find a picture of Tori Amos, right next to Prince and Grace Jones.
Artistically, Amos? flavor is like no other. She has a certain incomparable twist in style.
It comes as a surprise, that Amos is releasing an album full of cover songs written by male artists. You might think that this is just a collection of renditions, but in reality, Amos takes the originals and reinvents them in a way that can only be described as extreme rehashing.
The tracks range from The Velvet Underground?s ?New Age? to Slayer?s ?Raining Blood.?
However, Amos retells Eminem?s misogynistic ??97 Bonnie & Clyde? from what seems to be his dead wife?s perspective. The result is a serene, but chilling song.
?Strange Little Girls? is weaker than her previous work. It is more toned and unconnected, whereas her previous songs tended to flow into one another, creating an air of connectivity gluing the album.
Keep in mind ? ?Strange Little Girls? is not the kind of serving you?d expect from Amos. The lyrics are not a bunch of unrelated words forced into abstract poetry and the melodies are always predictable. The closest thing you?ll get to ?Boys For Ple? is the first single from this album.
Although it is a different ride, it still thrills. The standout tracks on this album are the sad ?I Am Not In Love,? originally by 10cc, and the Beatles? ?Happiness Is A Warm Gun,? which contains snippets of newscasts about John Lennon?s death and some clips of people talking about gun control ? covers don?t come that good these days.
The Boomtown Rats? ?I Don?t Like Mondays? and Tom Waits? ?Time? take a dark and spiraling plunge.
Amos? wandering melodies make their way into this album with the psychedelica of Neil Young?s ?Heart Of Gold? and the closing track ?Real Mean,? originally by Joe Jackson.
The piano still plays a big part into the music and Amos? voice range is as powerful, if not more honed, than ever.
?Strange Little Girls? is a product of hard work and it shows. However, this does not count as an Amos signature album. Amos is still rockin?, though.
Al-Qatami can be reached at nalqatami@campustimes.org.
