25. Tori Amos- The Beekeeper

She'll never make an album that's with any concession to whatever genre or style and that doesn't carry any bit of her personality within the lyrics. The question is how susceptible the listener is to that after eight albums. In itself it's a challenge that Tori has been dealing with respectable results- the music has changed her life, yet the purging of her soul still continues. So it comes down to melodies, structure and delivery. Melodies aplenty- Parasol, Witness (with gospel choir!), Sleeps With Butterflies and Ribbons Undone. Structure- definitely- the common link is in her lyrics which are still quite cryptic but delivered in that clear crooning style of her can turn songs from positive to moody in a heartbeat. There's 19 tracks on this album that at first glance might seem like overload but don't crowd the album. In general there's a more happy Tori out there who has made a career of making her veneer, desperation and hope shine in shimmering music for almost 15 years now. It doesn't matter how The Beekeeper ranks amongst her previous work, either you're perceptive to the many moods she brings or not. So, for me, another quality Tori-product.