UNDER THE PINK

Following up a debut as impressive as Little Earthquakes is no easy feat, but Tori Amos managed to do so quite successfully with the release of 1994's Under the Pink. In addition to selling quite well, particularly in the UK and US, Tori delighted the listener with twelve more excellent art rock tunes in the same style as her 1992 debut. The music here is quirky, intelligent, sassy, and often times downright beautiful - Tori's lyricism and songwriting are clearly both at the top of their game on Under the Pink. Fans of her instantly recognizable vocals and unique brand of pop/rock are bound to love Under the Pink, and even though it is often overshadowed by some of her other efforts, this is a stellar album from beginning to end.

The music is more or less the same brand of melancholic pop/rock and mildly experimental art rock that characterized Tori's debut, and the focus is still largely on beautiful piano ballads, though there are also songs like "God", "Past the Mission", "The Waitress", "Cornflake Girl", and "Space Dog" to add plenty of variation into the mix. Though I'm not entirely convinced by "The Wrong Band" and "The Waitress", the rest of the album is absolutely top-notch. Tori's vocals are beautiful as usual, and the gentle arrangements suit the reflective songwriting perfectly. Songs like "Pretty Good Year", "Past the Mission", "Cornflake Girl", "Icicle", "Space Dog", and the nine-minute progressive epic "Yes, Anastasia" stand out as some of Amos' finest work in her entire catalog. The arrangements are among her most thoughtful, and the broken upright piano used for the recording of "Bells for Her" just shows the creativity of her not only as a performer, but also as a composer. This rather small detail changes the general mood of the song and helps further authenticate its rather cryptic lyrics and beautiful vocals.

As expected from an album of this caliber, the production and musicianship are both top-notch, with Tori's piano playing and lovely vocals often taking the cake. Though her singing style is an acquired taste, she's one of my favorite vocalists and her performances on Under the Pink are, like most other aspects of the album, nothing short of flawless. This is an ideal follow-up to Little Earthquakes, and while it doesn't do much to differentiate itself from its predecessor, this is still another great effort from Tori Amos. Under the Pink is an easy recommendation to anyone who enjoys her music, and 4 stars are very fair in this case. While I'd consider it a slight step down from her debut, I still have a great time every time I listen to this marvelous observation.