Tori Amos – Ocean To Ocean

Still playing catch-up:

I definitely had a Tori Amos phase, but as with most things, it was after she’d had her moment with the “Little Earthquakes” and “Under the Pink” albums. I was aware of the singles like “Cornflake Girl,” and liked them, but it wasn’t until years later that I paid her much attention. At a time when I had absolutely zero budget for new music, I borrowed a copy of “American Doll Posse” from my local public library and was absolutely captivated. “Abnormally Attracted to Sin” had the same effect. Then I looked back with the “Tales of a Librarian” collection, and her live “To Venus and Back.” For a few years, those got a lot of play.

For me, Tori Amos is more of a mood than particular songs. Some of them definitely resonate and stick in my head, but for the most part I’m listening for the vibe. This showed up at my local record store in December 2022, and I’m not disappointed. Like most of her stuff, it’s moody, inventive, beautiful.