Wednesday, June 3, 1998
Soundbites
MUSIC
Tori Amos, "From the choirgirl hotel" (Atlantic) Don’t look now,
but Tori Amos has become the latest artist to "reinvent" herself in
what has been known as the late 1990’s alternative music crisis.
Tori has combined the soaring, confessional piano styles she
perfected with her 1992 masterpiece "Little Earthquakes" with
rhythmic, rock-based elements that give her music a fresh, welcome
sound.
Many of the 12 songs featured on "From the choirgirl hotel"
feature more prominent drums, bass and guitar. Rather than rely on
the piano to compete her dynamic, angelic voice, those elements
blend with traditional rock instrumentation to create breathing,
almost danceable songs. Yet despite all the focus on electronic
beats, subtle orchestrations, bouncy rhythms and exotic melodies,
Amos never loses the emotive power that her music and her vocals
carry. They’re not as sit-up-and-take-notice as "Silent All These
Years" and "China," (from "Little Earthquakes") but her new
approach to songwriting certainly will raise a few eyebrows,
especially from those expecting the older sounds.
Amos seemed primed for such experimentation. Her "Blue Skies"
club hit with electronic artists BT and her popular "Professional
Widow" remix from 1997 struck a chord with those more open-minded
alt-rock listeners. Newer songs like "Raspberry Swirl" combine the
signature piano melodies with the semi-thumping electro-beats of
those songs, providing club play potential as well as radio
airplay. The bright "She’s Your Cocaine" takes The Beatles’ "Come
Together" and Fiona Apple’s "Criminal," mixes them up and gives it
some synthesized bounce.
Don’t count out the songs with the standard Amos sound and
enigmatic lyrics, though. "Black-Dove (January)" and "Jackie’s
Strength" manage to enchant without being overwrought. "Northern
Lad" especially retains that emotion that few female artists can
match. However, mediocre songs like "Iieee" and "Playboy Mommy"
hardly impress, but they’re just a couple of bland moments in an
album chock full of life, sadness and passion. Mike Prevatt B+
Various Artists, Hard Rock Cafe, Surf (Hard Rock Records/ Rhino)
Spawned from a marriage of rock ‘n’ roll and the natural rhythms of
the ocean, surf music rose to titanic heights in the late ’50s and
’60s. The genre became overexposed, however, and fell into
disfavor, its echoing guitars and pulsing rhythms being replaced by
bubbly disco and powered-up arena rock. In recent years, it has
enjoyed a resurgence popularized by the best selling soundtrack to
"Pulp Fiction." This caused a slew of compilations, attempting to
cash in on the second wave of surf, the latest of which comes from
Hard Rock Records.
The album contains many mainstays, such as Dick Dale’s classic
"Miserlou," which sounds like a Greek sea shanty on crystal meth,
"Pipeline," by the Lively Ones, and of course, "Surfin’ U.S.A." (by
the surf music pioneers themselves, the Beach Boys). It also
features driving instrumentals in the form of "Mr. Moto," by The
Belairs and "Penetration" by the Pyramids. Jack Nitzsche’s "The
Lonely Surfer" isn’t bad, coming across like the opening credits to
a ’60s detective serial. Also featured is the Ventures’ rendition
of "Hawaii Five-O," which really was the opening to a ’60s
detective serial.
This is a decent compilation, but true devotees of surf music
would be better served to invest in the greatest hits of the
Ventures or Link Wray, two of the greatest instrumental artists
linked to the genre. As a starting block for a surf collection,
this is a pretty good way to begin. Brent Hopkins B+
Esthero, "Breath From Another," (Work) Maybe opposites really do
attract. That’s the pretense behind "Breath From Another," the
debut album from Canadian band Esthero. The lush melodies, combined
with hip-hop beats, signify the band’s style is a direct result of
the duo’s drastically different musical backgrounds.
Singer Esthero, a 19-year-old native of Ontario, spent her
earlier years singing in folk clubs. Her counterpart, however,
known simply as Doc, was no stranger to the studio when the pair
met, and cites his roots in such genres as hip-hop, ska and acid
jazz, to name a few. Their subsequent combining of forces resulted
in a plethora of musical styles and sounds.
"Breath From Another" functions almost as a story, with the
first sentence in each song serving as a continuation on the
previous track. This concept, once known to the listener, makes it
difficult to listen to the songs on the album separately. One gets
the feeling that this is not simply a collection of singles meant
to be broken up and remixed for air play, but rather a set to be
enjoyed and understood all at once. While a novel concept, it does
lead to some monotony within the album. The tracks tend to run
together, and often becomes difficult to determine one song from
another.
The haunting vocals provided by Esthero, however, make "Breath
From Another" an album worth listening to, and one that can appeal
to virtually any musical taste. Kate Herold B
TORI AMOS
"From the choirgirl hotel"