Customer Reviews

American Doll Posse [Vinyl]

5 star:		(108)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

For years I've read about how Tori has been inspired by great rock bands of the 1960s and '70s (The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, etc.) and upon listening to AMERICAN DOLL POSSE in its entirety, I feel that she has finally let loose and really jammed with her talented bassist Jon Evans, drummer Matt Chamberlin, and guitarist Mac Aladdin on this long-overdue sonically heavy album. After all, it was her adoration of this music at such an early age that got her kicked out of the Peabody Conservatory, so it's good to hear her music being so directly influenced by it. She began hinting at her rock-tinged roots with some of 1998's FROM THE CHOIRGIRL HOTEL, even more so with 1999's TO VENUS AND BACK, and to some extent with 2001's covers album STRANGE LITTLE GIRLS, but she clearly had no inhibitions making this glam rock/rock opera-esque album which, as music reviewer Matt Mazur stated, plays out similarly to ZIGGY STARDUST and HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. Consequently, I couldn't agree with him more.

POSSE is clearly Tori's most politically-themed album to date and I think she handles it with the right amount of subtlety without being too preachy. For as political as "Dark Side of the Sun" is, it's an amazingly beautiful song that nearly brings me to tears each time I hear it. I think that if an artist is going to release political music, it needs to be supported in some respect. Tori doesn't just wail "impeach Bush" she makes sharp observations such as "you have the whole nation on all fours," "you say you're not bothered to lie beneath pigs, then go on Laura, here's a flower for your grave" and offers some solutions, "I'll save you from that Sunday sermon, Boy I think you need a conversion." Her pain and sadness over an unjustified war is unmistakably evident. She's also clearly not a "W" fan yet she's passionate enough about her position to back it up, and herein lies the secret of the album's success: she's passionate about it. While I've liked her recent work (most of 2002's SCARLET'S WALK and about half of 2005's THE BEEKEEPER) the problem with those works is that they weren't always cohesive (possibly due to them being too long) and she didn't seem overly passionate about all aspects of them.

POSSE isn't just glam rock and political statements, which will surely appeal to the many Tori fans who worship her first (two) album(s). POSSE includes some "old-school" Tori sounds that are some of her most beautiful songs to date. The sonically subdued but vocally rich "Father's Son" could easily reside with the girls from 1994's UNDER THE PINK and a less percussion-intensive "Beauty of Speed" could pass as an alumnae from 1992's LITTLE EARTHQUAKES. The album also offers beautiful, emotion-filled songs from a contemporary Tori, which is important because all artists must evolve. "Roosterspur Bridge" and "Almost Rosey" are such tracks that remind us our piano goddess is still creating.

Despite how much I enjoy the "classic" tracks, I feel they are overshadowed by the real gems of the album, the rougher tracks such as "Teenage Hustling," "Code Red," the initial single "Big Wheel," and my already-favorite "Body and Soul". These songs are so full of energy and emotion, and they demonstrate how multifaceted Tori continues to be, while drawing from the musical inspiration that is at the core of her being. Another strong point for POSSE is that the songs are quite diverse, yet they compliment each other very well, the softer tracks balancing the harder tracks balancing even the pop, radio-friendly tracks such as "Bouncing off Clouds" and "Secret Spell." I hope fans of Tori's early works listen to and appreciate POSSE for the sonic menagerie that it is, but there will no doubt be people who don't think the POSSE lyrics are esoteric enough and that the overall tone of the album isn't EARTHQUAKES enough. Time will tell how well this album bodes with both the EWF and non-EWF crowd, but I think Tori has managed to do what she hasn't done in a long time: create a solid and musically satisfying album (even if it's 23-tracks long) that she's passionate about while continuously evolving musically and clearly re-creating herself.

A simple glance at the tracklisting for American Doll Posse is likely to have most people instinctively wishing that Tori Amos would edit herself a little. For the third time in succession she's pushing the capacity of the CD close to its limits.

Maybe that's partly because, in an age where the commercial single has all but died in most parts of the world, Amos no longer has b-sides as an outlet for the overflow of songs that seems to result most times she goes to the studio. But it would be a mistake to simply assume that ADP is a shorter album buried amongst b-sides. All successful musicians have to shape their impulses to fit what the market requires of them - Bach didn't write hundreds of cantatas just because he liked writing cantatas, but because he was paid to write church music. When he had an employer who loved instrumental music, that's what he wrote.

So, the market no longer wants b-sides and the personal mp3 playlist is king. Amos' response has been to create bigger albums. Do they work? Well, obviously it's partly a matter of opinion. But there tends to be an agreement among fans that the long, continuous thread of Scarlet's Walk worked somewhat better than the scattershot sweetness of The Beekeeper.

What about American Doll Posse? Is it a sprawling mess of an album? Arguably yes, although any sense of excess is helped by regarding it as a 20-track album, with 3 bonus tracks that just happen to be riding on the same physical disc. But it's a GLORIOUS, exhilarating mess.

The album starts deceptively with Yo George which, while lyrically pointed, is musically very reserved and almost polite. It gives no hint of the sudden burst of energy that unleashes Big Wheel, Bouncing Off Clouds and (after briefly lulling the listener into a false sense of security) the aggressive Teenage Hustling. Amos hasn't sounded this animated for close to a decade.

After that the tempo settles down a bit, but the energy level stays high. Part of that is because she sounds like she's having FUN. She clearly relishes throwing herself into forceful numbers like Teenage Hustling and Body and Soul, or the blatant swagger of You Can Bring Your Dog. There's plenty of humour in that track, Big Wheel and Mr. Bad Man, if only you're willing to hear it. This isn't the coolly analytical Amos that brought us the Strange Little Girls cover album. More than ever before, this is Amos the entertainer, urging us to get caught up in the moment.

There are moments of seriousness and repose as well, such as Father's Son and Girl Disappearing, the latter featuring a beautiful string quartet accompaniment. And Amos has included a fair number of lyrics referring to wars and bombs, especially in the songs that are credited to `Isabel'.

Ah yes, the concept. It seems that no Tori Amos album is allowed to go without one these days. In this case, it's best to regard it as a `take it or leave it' deal. If it helps you, use it, and if it doesn't then it can be quite safely put to one side. Amos has confessed in at least one interview that this time around, the songs came first. Really, the concept of five different singers is best regarded as a kind of acknowledgment that ADP covers a number of diverse styles, and a guide through the maze. And there does seem to be a degree of legitimacy in Amos' decision to demarcate the different approaches. For instance, there's a noticeable contrast between the dark aggressive singing of `Pip' and the higher-pitched, slightly pained emotionalism of `Clyde'. As different members of the posse enter and leave the stage, the album sometimes changes tack quite dramatically.

It's the sheer diversity of ADP that's likely to make it a hit-and-miss affair for a lot of listeners. Some people know what they like, style-wise, and what they DON'T like, and never the twain shall meet. You can lead a horse to water, so to speak.

But if you're the kind of person who enjoys a sense of restless exploration; if part of why you're even interested in a Tori Amos album is because she's refused to stick with the `girl and a piano' label she was so unfairly slapped with by lazy journalists and fans; if you can cope with jumbled yet inspired kaleidoscopes that hearken back to the Beatles' White Album, then American Doll Posse is going to give you quite a ride.

Tori Amos is back to her old tricks on "American Doll Posse," which is sure to please fans of her 90's albums. She has captured the bite and urgency that marked albums like "Boys For Pele" and "From the Choirgirl Hotel" while retaining the poise and sophistication of post-millennium output like 2002's "Scarlet's Walk." As she puts it, the "warrior woman" has returned.

Amos wouldn't be Amos without building her record around an eccentric concept. Throughout the bulky list of twenty-three tracks (including 5 interludes) changes of mood, tempo and subject recur forthrightly, owed to the differing perspectives of 5 characters Amos has concocted for her "posse": Clyde, Isabel, Pip, Santa and of course Tori, all of whom are credited in the liner notes. The categorizing of the tracks in this manner, though much more discernible than the grouping of songs on 2005's "The Beekeeper" into six different "gardens," is unnecessary for the enjoyment of the album.

Beginning with the coolly cryptic "Yo George" ("Is this just the Madness of King George?/Yo George, well you have the whole Nation o all fours."), she then whips into the fast-paced lead single "Big Wheel" which finds her breaking free of a man who hinders her self-expression with its self-assured lyrics. The romantic protestation of "Bouncing off Clous" follows, a gigantic wave of instrumentation geared to sweep listeners off their feet and carry them off. Romance succeeds, however, in the cheeky "You Can Bring Your Dog."

"Girl Disappearing" may be the most culturally relevant track on the disc. Spotlighting the repercussions of tabloid culture, Amos muses on the war women wage against each others. never fumbles her message.

"Envy can spread herself so thin/She slipped it in before I could notice it/In my own war, blood in the cherry zone/When they pit woman against feminist/Riding on backs of palominos/Ditching the blond shell/Working her hell on that red carpet."

This with songs like the bitterly sarcastic "Mr. Bad Man" or the curiously titled "Programmable Soda." The best is "Secret Spell," with its widescreen, epic melody that finds beauty in a clean slate, even if love has abruptly met an end.

Religious commentary comes with "Father's Son" and the anxious, seething "Body and Soul." She also continues to wage criticism on President Bush in the likes of "Code Red" and "Dark Side of the Sun," the latter of which cuts to the heart of the matter: "So how many young men have to lay down/Their life and their love of their woman/For some sick promise of a heaven?" She even manages to send a message to Laura Bush in "Posse Bonus."

Moments of pure wisdom and grace abound in lines like "Sometimes I think, I think I understand/The Fear in the boy/The Fire in the man" in "Roosterspur Bridge" or "My dark twin, the annihilating Feminine, does not need civilizing" in "Smokey Joe."

The most evocative moment is the unflinchingly rapturous "Almost Rosey." Her most gorgeous, mercurial melody to date married with melancholy observations ("Just why do they say "Have a nice day." anyway/We both know they wouldn't mind if I just curled up and died."), it pieces together an intriguing story of the pitfalls of love and life.

She wraps things up with "Dragon," where one woman confronts another about her past while comforting her as well, telling her to "just stay awhile" since "they forgot about the power of a woman's love."

If feminism is in dire straits as of late, Amos gives it a warm embrace with "American Doll Posse" without resorting to undue stereotypes. In such a time as 2007, she is a much-needed breath of fresh air.

The limited edition contains an 8-minute bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes footage and an additional track, "My Posse Can Do."

On the heels of 2005's very disappointing (both critically and commercially) overlong concept album "The Beekeeper" came the buzz that Tori was working on... yet another sprawling concept album. I have to admit that I was fearing the worst. Thankfully, things turned out a lot better than I expected.

On "American Doll Posse" (23 tracks; 79 min.), Tori brings a (vinyl) double-album's worth of music, presented by 5 characters (Pip, Isabelle, CLyde, Santa and Tori). Things start off poorly, with "Yo George", a lame and predictable rant (yes, we get it), but then immediately kick into overdrive with "Big Wheel" and "Bouncing Off Clouds", two hard-charging songs (and singles) that are miles better than anything on "The Beekeeper". "Digital Ghosts" and "Your Can Bring Your Own Dog" round out an overall very good Side 1. From there on, though, it becomes a pick-and-choose affair. There's the excellent excellent "Girls Disappearing", followed by a mediocre "Secret Spell" on Side 2, and up and down and up again it goes. The epic "Code Red" is the highlight on Side 3. By the time Side 4 rolls around, I am fighting fatigue due to the lenght of this album, although "Dark Side of the Moon" is another stand-out.

"American Doll Posse" is certainly not a bad album, but once again Tori is victim of her own over-ambitiousness, and there was nobody to rein her in, as Tori serves as her own producer. This could've been an absolute knock-out album, had about 1/3 of the songs been set aside for some other purpose (singles B-sides, fan-friendly downloads, and the like). As on previous Tori albums, Matt Chamerlain (drums) and Jon Evans (bass) provide outstanding musical backup.

As to the bonus DVD, please save your money! The DVD runs a mere 8 min. (and that's not a typo), and for that you get one extra track ("My Posse Can Do", set to still photographs you find in the album's booklet), and a 5 min. behind the scenes look at the photo-shoot of the various "American Doll Posse" characters (from the looks of it, this was done at Tori's house in England). And that's it.

Tori's new album simply makes the walls shake! I just bought it this morning and I have to say this album should be played at high volume. It is very rock-oriented, a tongue-in-cheek ode to America, the greatest nation - or is it? Tori subtly goes out on a limb with this one, politically speaking. Take the opening track, for instance! We all know who "King George" is! My hat's off to you with this one, Tori.

I really didn't know what to expect from Tori Amos' new album "American Doll Posse." To be perfectly blunt, I didn't really care for her last album "The Beekeeper" (2005). While "The Beekeeper" wasn't a horrible album, I just couldn't get into it. There were some great ideas, and most of the songs had a great deal of potential, but the album just seemed kind of aimless and flat.

While I was hoping Tori Amos would rebound for her new album, I was really surprised by how much I love "American Doll Posse." Although the piano is still front and center, "American Doll Posse" is more guitar, rock oriented than much of her previous work. The album is much, much more cohesive than "The Beekeeper" and the songs are far tighter. It's amazing that an album of this length, nearly 80 minutes, has nearly no filler. While there are some songs like the ultra-catchy "Bouncing off the Clouds" and the dreamy, Beatle-esque "Mr. Bad Man" that stand-out as potential singles, every song really works.

While I enjoyed the equally long "Scarlet's Walk" (2002) as well as her later 90s work, "American Doll Posse" is Amos's first album since "Under the Pink" that I could thoroughly get into, from start to finish. That's not to say every album since "Under the Pink" wasn't good, as I think most of her work is great. Rather, I feel that with "American Doll Posse," Amos has created a great piece of work that lives up to the classic first two albums.

Yay! She's back! American Doll Posse reassures Tori Amos's audience that she hasn't given up edge for easy listening.

I was afraid after The Beekeeper and more recently hearing "Big Wheel." However, there is no saccharine "Ribbons Undone" here, nor Tori gone country. Also absent are the choir singers, heavy Wurlitzer, and harpsichord on this one. Instead, the spotlight is on the piano, guitar, and drums, as well as Tori's voice. It's both a compilation of past styles and also a depart from them. This album is instead as interesting and varying in style as Tori's shoes. Its style harkens most closely back to Under the Pink mixed with Scarlet's Walk, which are my two favorite Tori albums. And although Beekeeper had a few awesome tracks like "Marys of the Sea," "Parasol," and "Hoochie Woman," it was overall not as distinguished as past albums, or as this album here.

Although Posse is supposed to be Tori's political statement against the war in Iraq and is pro-feminist (which is a given with all her albums), as far as politics goes, I personally felt that The Beekeeper had a far more obvious and sometimes off-putting political tinge to it ("General Joy" and "Mother Revolution," for instance) than this album does-the only track that I have to skip is "Yo George." It's strange, I know, to be kind of a conservative libertarian and a Tori fan these days, but I truly do enjoy these tunes and they aren't all scathing disses on our president. There is a lot of ground covered here, and the main theme is a person's character as an individual and all the aspects of that within, including the binaries of good vs. evil, light vs. dark. A person doesn't have to be just one dimension. We may not name all our different sides to ourselves "Pip," "Cyde," "Isabel," "Santa," or "Tori", but that doesn't mean they don't exist for us to, in our own ways. This album pushes this message very thoroughly and hopefully it registers with younger audiences.

Now, for the run down on each song (I apologize this is so long, but it's a long album, to be fair):

1. Yo George-tired of everyone ripping on the president. It's been said a million times already.
2. Big Wheel-catchy, bouncy tune-I picture Tori and Posse in 1800s western saloon. I think it would have made for a better video, but oh well.
3. Bouncing Off Clouds-LOVE this song. This would be great to listen to while driving on a rural highway somewhere. This would be a terrific single for radio.
4. Teenage Hustling-a rockin' roarin' track heavy with guitar that makes me think of late 80s hair bands, but in a good way (like Lita Ford). It's really catchy and really relistenable.
5. Digital Ghost-this one takes a few listens to sink in, but I like the line "the you I knew is fading away" and you can almost see that moonlight glow of the computer screen.
6. You Can Bring Your Dog-a fun boppy tune with sharp-as-a-stiletto lyrics. It makes me think, in tone, of songs like "The Waitress" and "The Wrong Band."
7. Mr. Bad Man-not sure what to think of this track yet, but it is one of the quieter tracks and her vocals remind me of "Agent Orange" and "Mr. Zebra."
8. Fat Slut-an angry little intermission song whose vocals reminds me of how Tori sings "I ordered you a pancake" from (shocking, I know) "Pancake."
9. Girl Disappearing-another song that takes several listens to absorb, and another quieter one.
10. Secret Spell-LOVE this song. It's piano-heavy, bouncy, and the lyrics seem to be speaking of Tori's early decisions in her career and changing them to be the artist she is today. This could easily be a hit single.
11. Devils and Gods-don't know yet about this one. I kind of tune it out in anticipation of the next track.
12. Body And Soul-parts of this song actually remind me of Garbage-who knew that would ever happen with a Tori song? It's another rockin', heavy guitar, heavy gritty voice song and I really like it. It's kind of sexy in its own way.
13. Father's Son-this could easily have been a track left off of Pink as far as the sound goes, it's a quiet song that subtly grows louder toward the end and has a lot of soft piano and cymbals. It gets stuck in my head in a hypnotic way.
14. Programmable Soda-this is a cute song that's bubbly and fizzy like its title, and way too short. I want to hear more of it, but it cuts off too quickly. It's this albums equivalent of Scarlet's Walk's "Wednesday."
15. Code Red-melodic and entrancing deep piano is what stands out to me most.
16. Roosterspur Bridge-pretty, lovely lyrics, and quiet piano-this album's answer to "Northern Lad."
17. Beauty of Speed-a quiet but fast paced track with wonderful lyrics. This would be another perfect track for your iTunes Road Trip playlist.
18. Almost Rosey-a quiet song with terrific lyrics that cut to the heart, with two personalities: one is depressed and one is trying to cheer up the other. Many people like me can appreciate this war within an individual-part of you is wanting to "curl up and die" and the other part is "chin up."
19. Velvet Revolution-I like it as an intermission song, but glad it's not longer than that
20. Dark Side of the Sun-not sure what to make of this one yet
21. Posse Bonus-I like this song! It's unbelievable catchy. I just wish it had more lyrics.
22. Smokey Joe-soft and gritty like chocolate toffee
23. Dragon-soft and pretty, you don't want the album to end, but "just stay awhile/stay awhile/stay a-while."

And if you have the iTunes version, you also get:

24. My Posse Can Do-sort of like a "Posse Bonus: Part Two" and very catchy.
25. Miracle-good, but does sound like an upbeat B-side, like the long-lost sister of "Secret Spell."

It's a long album, but goes by quickly. Highly enjoyable and recommended.

---After some time and reconsideration, I would rate this one 4/5---

As a long-time ear with feet, I really wanted to like this CD, but the overall feeling for me is overwrought and disjointed. The arrangements and Tori's singing feels overly-earnest to me, a pleading "like me, please like me" quality to it.

However, I do give Tori an enormous amount of credit for expanding her musicality and trying different styles of music (spanish troubador, 70's glam rock) and adding guitar and strings. I think having a "musically full" sound is a good idea. But adding instruments and overdubs is kind of like frosting on top of a cake - a little bit is good, a whole lot is not. There was waaaay too much icing on this cake, and entire effect sounded overwrought, earnest and way overdone, especially the overdubs. I think this is going to hurt her, too, when she tours, as she'll be forced to do a lot of "karaoke" singing to taped background vocals.

Concept albums can be great; regretably, this one is middling. Tori has already channeled other people and created a cd from it - Strange Little Girls. This time with Posse, the results are actually worse, because for better or worse, it feels a bit like a re-tread of SLG.

In a way I feel sorry for Tori because she wants to be fresh, original, and cutting edge. I mean, who else creates characters on a cd and then gives them each blogs? At the end of the day, I could care less about the concept, it's the lyrics and music that will draw me in, and continue to make me play it again and again. And this is where the album failed me.

It does have some inspired moments - "Girl Disappearing" is beautiful, "Digital Ghost" music is excellent (although the lyrics are lame, lame, lame) and "Big Wheel" is bouncy and great - but most were disappointing.

Posse is like panning for gold - sometimes you find that nugget of gold, but most times you don't. And unless you're a major Tori fan, I can't recommend it.

If you're at all like me, then you were there toward the beginning when Tori was the girl with the piano, baring her soul through her music, dazzling our hearts and tugging at our tear ducts with her unique brand of phonic madness and enigmatic poetry. If you're at all like me, you also had that moment when things changed for you. Maybe it was when the woman who once sang "You're only popular with anorexia" started losing a ton of weight, wearing layers of make-up, and donning priceless designer dresses, the shift away from autobiographical songs, lyrics, and album concepts into subjects that felt easier and even effortless, or maybe it was the simple fact that her songs lost the ability to make you scream and cry. Whatever the case, somewhere along the line Tori lost you, and now it's finally time to come home.

American Doll Posse isn't a return to the "Good Old Days" in most respects. Instead, it's the pinnacle of what she's been trying to do since. Few of the tracks on this album are boldly autobiographical, emotionally overpowering, nor lyrically meaningful. Instead, each song simply sores as something beautiful and ingeniously arranged -- compositional masterpieces that don't strive to be anything more than they are (simple political commentaries aside). Even with 23 tracks, nearly each one shines in its own respect, and, though I have no intention of attempting to keep track of the five different persona that are supposedly singing on this album, one can't deny a tremendously varied sound and style in each song. The album never grows tiring nor monotonous, and no two tracks blend together. This could easily have been a greatest hits compilation for a lesser artist, and while I've noted earlier that this album is neither as meaningful nor emotionally potent as Tori's early work, I'd still rate it amongst my favorites because nearly each song truly is a hit in and of itself.

My personal favorites on this album include the groovy southern attitude of "Big Wheel," the dreamy kinetic energy of "Bouncing Off Clouds," the haunting yearning of "Digital Ghost," the celebratory beauty of "Secret Spell," the creepy evocation of "Father's Son," the playful naivety of "Programmable Soda," the sweet, exhausted relief of overcoming in "Almost Rosey," and the delicate threading of sweet harmony and maddening cacophony in "Dragon," the most evocative song of the album which almost feels like a throwback to Boys for Pele.

However, I believe it's possible for nearly any song on this album to be someone's favorite. The only songs on this album that I'm not particularly attached to are Fat Slut, Velvet Revolution, Posse Bonus, and Dark Side of the Sun. Even the first three of those aren't unlikable; they just lack exceptional qualities. Dark Side of the Sun is the only song on the entire album that I honestly don't like. The lyrics and the music fight each other constantly, and the whole fusion feels uncomfortable and forced. That entry aside, there isn't a track on this album that isn't worth getting to know.

So, if you've been away from Tori for a while, this is definitely the album to welcome you home, and if you're new to Tori, it's not a bad starting point either. American Doll Posse may not be the most moving album Tori ever put together, but it certainly shines with its own style of radiance.

Tori Amos is back to her old tricks on "American Doll Posse," which is sure to please fans of her 90's albums. She has captured the bite and urgency that marked albums like "Boys For Pele" and "From the Choirgirl Hotel" while retaining the poise and sophistication of post-millennium output like 2002's "Scarlet's Walk." As she puts it, the "warrior woman" has returned.

Amos wouldn't be Amos without building her record around an eccentric concept. Throughout the bulky list of twenty-three tracks (including 5 interludes) changes of mood, tempo and subject recur forthrightly, owed to the differing perspectives of 5 characters Amos has concocted for her "posse": Clyde, Isabel, Pip, Santa and of course Tori, all of whom are credited in the liner notes. The categorizing of the tracks in this manner, though much more discernible than the grouping of songs on 2005's "The Beekeeper" into six different "gardens," is unnecessary for the enjoyment of the album.

Beginning with the coolly cryptic "Yo George" ("Is this just the Madness of King George?/Yo George, well you have the whole Nation o all fours."), she then whips into the fast-paced lead single "Big Wheel" which finds her breaking free of a man who hinders her self-expression with its self-assured lyrics. The romantic protestation of "Bouncing off Clous" follows, a gigantic wave of instrumentation geared to sweep listeners off their feet and carry them off. Romance succeeds, however, in the cheeky "You Can Bring Your Dog."

"Girl Disappearing" may be the most culturally relevant track on the disc. Spotlighting the repercussions of tabloid culture, Amos muses on the war women wage against each others. never fumbles her message.

"Envy can spread herself so thin/She slipped it in before I could notice it/In my own war, blood in the cherry zone/When they pit woman against feminist/Riding on backs of palominos/Ditching the blond shell/Working her hell on that red carpet."

This with songs like the bitterly sarcastic "Mr. Bad Man" or the curiously titled "Programmable Soda." The best is "Secret Spell," with its widescreen, epic melody that finds beauty in a clean slate, even if love has abruptly met an end.

Religious commentary comes with "Father's Son" and the anxious, seething "Body and Soul." She also continues to wage criticism on President Bush in the likes of "Code Red" and "Dark Side of the Sun," the latter of which cuts to the heart of the matter: "So how many young men have to lay down/Their life and their love of their woman/For some sick promise of a heaven?" She even manages to send a message to Laura Bush in "Posse Bonus."

Moments of pure wisdom and grace abound in lines like "Sometimes I think, I think I understand/The Fear in the boy/The Fire in the man" in "Roosterspur Bridge" or "My dark twin, the annihilating Feminine, does not need civilizing" in "Smokey Joe."

The most evocative moment is the unflinchingly rapturous "Almost Rosey." Her most gorgeous, mercurial melody to date married with melancholy observations ("Just why do they say "Have a nice day." anyway/We both know they wouldn't mind if I just curled up and died."), it pieces together an intriguing story of the pitfalls of love and life.

She wraps things up with "Dragon," where one woman confronts another about her past while comforting her as well, telling her to "just stay awhile" since "they forgot about the power of a woman's love."

If feminism is in dire straits as of late, Amos gives it a warm embrace with "American Doll Posse" without resorting to undue stereotypes. In such a time as 2007, she is a much-needed breath of fresh air.

The limited edition contains an 8-minute bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes footage and an additional track, "My Posse Can Do."