Unrepentant Geraldines by Tori Amos

Longtime, hardcore Tori Amos fans are grandly rewarded with Tori’s 14th studio album, 2014’s *Unrepentant Geraldines*. Where the past three Amos albums were ventures into seasonal music (*Midwinter Graces*, classically-influenced performances *Night of Hunters* and orchestrated re-interpretations (*Gold Dust*), *Unrepentant Geraldines* is a return to the sound and approach— piano-based chamber pop—that first excited listeners on albums such as *Little Earthquakes*, *From the Choirgirl Hotel* and *Scarlet’s Walk*. Whether it’s the classic Amos sound of “America” and “Weatherman” or Amos on the upbeat with “Wedding Day” or with slight electronic touches on the hypnotic “16 Shades of Blue,” the album offers a return of sorts while never feeling like an attempt at recreating the past. She brings her teenage daughter Natasha to the vocal mic for “Promise,” a song that faces the truth about aging. She discusses NSA surveillance on the deceptively-light sounding “Giant’s Rolling Pin.” *Unrepentant Geraldines* is a major addition to Amos’ intimidating catalog.

A-

In the last 15 years, Tori Amos’ pop albums have gravitated toward two distinct categories: those where she utilizes elaborate characters and extended metaphors to illustrate her points, and those where she uses more straightforward, subjective inspirations for her lyrics. For fans, this has been somewhat frustrating,…

7.4 / 10

To call Unrepentant Geraldines the first real Tori Amos album in five years is to miss the point of Tori Amos.

Unrepentant Geraldines -- its title so knowingly Tori it verges on parody -- finds Tori Amos delivering original songs, which isn't a common occurrence for her in the new millennium.

8 / 10

If Tori Amos's 'Unrepentant Geraldines' is indeed visual art, it’s more of a polite Norman Rockwell than a vomit-stained Sherman.

6 / 10

Reprising the format that made her a star, Tori Amos has rarely sounded so vulnerable, writes <strong>Dave Simpson</strong>

80 %

“If 50 is the new black, hooray, this could be your lucky day,” Tori Amos sings on “16 Shades of Blue”, the track from new album Unrepentant Geraldines most obviously touched by the big birthday that the singer, who has been releasing music since her early 20s, just passed. With its woozy beats, odd sound effects and references to the paintings of Paul Cézanne it’s a curious song, likely to throw those more fond of Amos’ recent forays into classical and orchestral music.