TORI AMOS - From the choirgirl hotel - WEA

The rhythm on From the choirgirl hotel by Tori Amos unfolds like the irregular heartbeat of an unborn child. This time, there's a lot of emotion in it, as if it conveys the rhythm of life. Question is if this idea is fed by the knowledge that Tori had a miscarriage in december 1996. The music of the American woman has always had a particular pulse to it ever since the arrival of Little earthquakes (1992).

Seen from a sober point of view, even if that is difficult with those openhearted lyrics, in which she copes with the loss of her daughter in an emotional way, there's just a subtle change. Predecessors Under the pink (1994) and Boys for Pele (1996) emphasized the voice and piano. So From the choirgirl hotel is less of the classical conservatory student and more of the rock goddess. Which doesn't take from the fact that Tori has stayed wayward in a nice way. She may have the vocal coloring of a Robert Plant, regarding melodies, she's in a league of her own. She doesn't ignore modern trends. In the past she experimented with R&B and dance.

From the choirgirl hotel can be called her first group album. So the most important change is that she chooses to use a pop- and rock-coloured interaction between all instruments. In the past years, every (musical) addition was subordinate to her voice- and piano-arrangement. This new way of working is good for the sound and it also benefits the playfulness of her music. Tori continues to cause cold shudders in an unexpected manner. All that liveliness, subtle tenderness and dynamics (sometimes leaning towards techno) is paused by some ballads, like Jackie's strength, which is beautifully orchestrated by John Philip Shenale. While the lyrics on this cd, in their coping with pain, may not always inspire a happy mood, it is hardly a sad album. (HP)