The Beekeeper

by

Tori Amos

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With her newest creation, "The Beekeeper," Tori Amos has proven herself an ever-evolving musical force, never content to rest on her laurels or stick to a tried-and-true formula. With the lengthy collection of 19 tracks, separated into six themed 'gardens', the CD runs 80 minutes long and is full of both quality lyrics and intriguing subject matter where the red-haired pianist delves into the biblical history, ancient myths and the relationship between parent and child that transcends death and the passing of time.

The disc begins with one of her sharpest opening tracks, "Parasol," a tale concerning deep shock of betrayal. "The Power of Orange Knickers," which features vocals by singer/songwriter Damien Rice, finds Amos articulating betrayal on a grander scale, likening each human soul to a terrorist in the sense that we obliterate our innermost truths:

"Can somebody tell me now/Who is this terrorist/Those girls that smile kindly/Then rip your life to pieces?/Can somebody tell me now/Who is this terrorist/This little pill in my hand/That keeps the pain laughing?"

In "Marys of the Sea" Amos waxes on the largely unknown biblical story of Mary Magdelene, a recurring theme in her music, chronicling her journey after fleeing Jerusalem to the south of France, while opening herself off to fear in the context of Irish mythology with one of her most luxurious melodies yet, "Jamaica Inn."

Another exemplary track is "Sleeps With Butterflies," the set's lead single which finds the artist outrightly explaining what she needs, addressing the need for give and take between male and female to make a relationship work:

"I don't hold onto the tail of your kite/I'm not like the girls that you've known/But I believe I'm worth coming home to/Kiss away night/This girl only sleeps with butterflies/So go on and fly then boy."

The lyrical highlight of the disc comes with the heart-rendering title track, where Amos confronts her fears of her mother's mortality and the fact that they will one day have to part, mentioning her brother who was killed in a car crash this past November:

"Don't be afraid I/Promise that she will awake/Tomorrow somewhere/Wrap yourself around the tree of life/And the dance of the infinity of the hive/Take this message to Michael."

Furthemore, she reflects on her deep love and appreciation for her daughter in "Ribbons Undone," delivers one of her most savory melodies yet with "Cars and Guitars" and makes commentary on the war effort with the endearing "General Joy." She also adds a dash of humor to infidelity with "Hoochie Woman":

"He called me up and said `she has needs'/I said `you'll find `em on Barney's fourth floor'."

"The Beekeeper" is also available in a limited edition package that includes a bonus DVD with further insight into the album by Amos along with another song, "Garlands." Her newly released book "Piece By Piece," co-written with music journalist Ann Powers, has also been released to coincide with the new album and includes further detail on her creative process.

I've been a big Tori Fan for the last 15 years or so and have loved almost all her music up to Strange Little Girls, which I never really got in to. Maybe it's just me but I'm finding it harder and harder to get in to her newer albums. I stuck with Scarlet Walk until I found my love for it. With this album I literally had to force myself to play it over and over again until the songs became familiar enough to be somewhat enjoyable. Dont get me wrong, theres still some lovely pieces and a couple like "Sweet the Sting" and "Beekeeper" are more instantly enjoyable. I just feel that Tori herself sounds almost bored in most of the tracks ("Parasol" "Ribbons undone" etc) and the other tracks she has adopted a grit in her voice which begins to grate after a minute or so into the track. I'm disappointed to admit that I have to skip through several of the tracks ("cars and guitars", "witness" and a couple others) because I simply can't stand her voice. I hate to think it, but I think she might be running out of steam. After all, she has presented herself with some pretty hard acts to follow in the past.

So I dont hate it (well little bits of it I do), but I can't really recommend it as much as many of her other albums. Sorry.