Album Review | ‘American Doll Posse’ by Tori Amos
Amos’s 9th album brings back a more rock-oriented sound along with her Doll Posse.
The Epic years of Tori’s career are extremely concept-oriented. Scarlet was a road trip, The Beekeeper an exploration of feminine and Biblical notions, and now American Doll Posse comes in hard with the strongest concept yet. This time, we break out the songs into the voices of five different characters: Isabel (the observer and oriented around the Greek goddess Artemis), Clyde (the more vulnerable character based around Persephone), Pip (the warrior based around Athena), Santa (the passionate one based around Aphrodite), and Tori (a more stylized version of herself with a basis around Demeter and Dionysus). As you can see from the character breakdown, it’s a much more dense concept than the albums that came before. Each character gets their own songs, along with a specific look. To work with the album’s basis, I am going to separate the tracks by the “Doll” that sings them.
Isabel takes charge as the politically minded Doll in the group. Each of her songs holds a place to challenge the status quo in some way by calling out injustices or old-fashioned ideals. This begins with “Yo George,” one of the album's six short intermission-like tracks. This prelude of sorts aims directly at the (then) current state of America. The opening is a snide take on the policies that had been made at the time, “I salute to you Commander/ and I sneeze/ cause I have now/ an allergy/ To your policies it seems.”
“Mr. Bad Man” is a bit too tongue-in-cheek with its ukulele and bouncy piano. This bad man (Mr. Bad Man, which makes me roll my eyes a bit) seems to want to keep her silenced from what truths she wants to say, “But everyday I know that/ I may just be closer/ to the sea of frozen words/ Words that even soldiers/ would lay down their swords for.” I honestly skip this song on an early listen. I get there is supposed to be a bit of humor to it, but I think it fails to hit the mark it's aiming for.
“Devils and Gods” is the third of these short intermissions. Here, we poke through the idea that Devils and Gods are the ones controlling what’s going on. She’s quick to say we’re these beings that cause chaos and miracles, “Devils and Gods now that’s an idea/ But if we believe that it’s They who decide/ That’s the ultimate detractor of crimes/ ’cause Devils and Gods/ They are You and I.”
One of my favorite politically motivated tones is “Almost Rosey,” where Amos calls out those who put on their rose-colored glasses and ignore all the issues surrounding them and the world. The sarcastic nature of the chorus, “Chin up put on a pair of these roseys/ Raise those blinds/ Chin up a happy mask was never/ Your best disguise/ Chin up put on a pair of these roseys/ In no time you will feel almost fine,” really gives the middle finger to those who say “it’s all good and doesn’t affect me.”
“Dark Side of the Sun” is a beautiful look at how the fear of violence sparked by clashing ideologies can affect our future. It’s cool yet commanding. The more rock-influenced portions work well against the acoustic sections to make Tori’s works more poignant. You can hear her fear in the song’s opening verse, “Is there a way out of this?/ If there is I don’t see it/ Can Heaven and Hell coexist?/ Not when both battle for dominance.” Inspired by the ongoing war in the Middle East at the time, Amos mourns the many lives affected by extremist mindsets, “So how many young men have to lay down/ their life and their love of their woman/ for some sick promise of a heaven.”
Clyde provides a duality to the tracks that she “sings.” As her character is based on Persephone, it makes sense that there is emotional complexity to many of the songs that she would take on.
One of my favorite more rock-influenced tracks on the album is “Bouncing off of Clouds”. I love the dual use of the synth, Rhodes, and piano. The song shimmers, bounces, and soars. On the song’s genesis, Amos said:
“Sometimes the songs just come. I don’t know where they come from… I really don’t. I think maybe when you’re reading lots of art books and you’re living your life and you’re having experiences, they collect... You know you have to put aside time to be creative; if you just wait for the muse to come, well maybe she just isn’t [snaps] gonna do all the work for you. I think we have to do some of the work and then maybe the magic just comes out of hours and hours and hours of discipline. So ‘Bouncing off Clouds’ was probably a mixture of the last couple of years before it was written and it hit me on that day. It was a very blustery day and it had been tumultuous, it had been a tumultuous time for a couple weeks and I just think all those images came together.”
Clyde’s character is trying to work against this paradise that has been shaken by the building friction between the two in this relationship, “Make it easy/ Make this easy/ it’s not as heavy as it seems/ Wrapped in metal/ wrapped in ivy/ paint it in mint ice cream/ We could be Bouncing off the top of this Cloud.” She’s trying desperately to shake her partner out of this mindset of wanting something that he doesn’t have by reminding him of what’s right in front of him, “Well you can stare all day at the sky/ But that won’t bring her back/ that won’t bring her back/ You say you’re waiting on fate/ But I think fate is now/ I think fate is now/ Waiting on us.” It’s a fantastically crafted song that jumps, swirls, and curves in all the right ways, making for a fantastic listening experience.
“Girl Disappearing” is one of the more lush tracks on the record. A string section joins alongside Amos’ piano melody to give a bluer tone to the song’s sound. As the title suggests, Tori paints the picture of a woman shrinking away into a shell of her former self, “a girl disappearing/ to some secret prison/ behind her eyes she whispers/ ‘Big surprise there was
no protection by this urban light/ so I’m running to/ a constellation/ where they can still see you.’” Through this retreat from the world of toxic idealizations, she seems to find strength in breaking free of the shackles of expectations and trends, “Left whips and chains/ behind I’m boycotting trends/ it’s my new look this season.” She ends the song by reminding her that she’s still in there, even if she feels hollow.
“Roosterspur Bridge” is a cool autumnal adult-alternative tinged slow burner. It calls back to some of the more country-inspired work she experimented with on Scarlet’s Walk. We trace the aftermath of a relationship. As she drives, she looks back on all the telltale signs that writing was on the wall, “Drove all night through Sliding Rock Falls/ Thinking I’d find something that we’d lost/ Can’t remember when you stopped laughing/ Or when I stopped wanting to win.” Looking through Clyde’s songs, it feels like the logical step from the pleading of “Bouncing off of Clouds” and the broken state of “Girl Disappearing.”
One of my favorite tracks on the album by far is “Beauty of Speed.” We see Amos duo wielding an upright and Bösendorfer piano to create this beautiful rushing autumnal sound. The tone of the music matches the clear changes in her partner, “Afraid we’ve been changin’/ in a way I wasn’t lovin’/ Feel those colors changing/ The beauty of speed.” She seems to be coming out the other side of this breakup. She knows this separation is needed and a new chapter needs to be started, “Even still I was built/ to tolerate your temper-ature/ It fluctuates so I must break/ Through the bleak of winter/ Through your latest barrier.”
Pip takes hold of some of the darker or confrontational songs. Holding the helm as the “warrior” of the Dolls, each of these tracks either have a more caustic tone or a push for change in a more forceful manner.
“Teenage Hustling” sees Amos calling back to her days of hitting the pavement to make a career for herself. Those years of working hard to make a name have made her savvy to many crooked dealings that many people will try to sell her, “I’ve been workin’ it/ since I’z fourteen/ me and my Teenage Hustling/ It’s gonna save me/ Save me save me save me save me save me/ from your dirty dealings.” This is one of the more aggressively rock-oriented songs on the album. Amos takes on a more raucous vocal performance akin to a good glam rock song.
“Fat Slut” is one of the shortest intermissions on the album that acts as a very strong worded ‘F you’ to those who judge and shame them. The warrior energy is there in the words, “‘Fat Slut’ you said/ What luck I said/ To be stuck in your happy family/ Don’t you dare I said/ Judge me You go and/ Stick It In Somewhere/ I’m Sick-a hearin’ it.” All the instrumentation is a more hushed overdriven electric guitar.
“Body and Soul” is a “dually sung” track by Pip and Santa. Here, Amos aims to counteract the aggressive male-oriented viewpoint with the enlightenment of a woman’s compassion and sensuality. She relates this sensual power of the feminine point of view to the sense of the divine, “Sweet Communion/ In my temple boy be warned/ Violence doesn’t have a home now but ecstasy/ that’s as pure as a woman’s gold.” It makes sense to have Pip (the warrior) and Santa (the lover) duet here as the words mix this feeling of fighting with a woman’s divinity.
“Velvet Revolution” gives off a sort of Spanish vibe through Mark Hawley’s mandolin playing. The revolution appears to be a call for justice to those who commit war crimes, “All you killers of the children/ there’s a new Commandment/ the true Divine Creator wants a/ Velvet Revolution.” For what it's worth, it’s a fine little intermission, but I don’t see myself returning to it much in the future.
“Smokey Joe” brings back a clavichord to layer underneath Amos’s piano playing. You get a feeling of a desert-like harshness from the sound of the song. It’s desolate and oppressive. There’s quite a bit of malice surrounding the feelings pouring out of the song’s lyrics. In a similar feeling to “The Waitress,” Amos has to talk herself out of wanting to choose violence over those who have wronged her and the ones she cares about, “maybe it terrifies me/ this quiet siege/ maybe it terrifies me/ It’s too easy/ It’s too easy/ to wish you harm.” There’s a palpable fear of losing oneself to this rage that runs through the track. She even calls back to the hopeless feeling of Clyde as one of her many miasmic feelings, “A songless robin she became/ He stole my sister Clitorides/ These silken rubber gloves/ choking his vitriolic tongue.” This is my favorite the Pip’s collection of songs.
Santa holds the place of sensuality on the album. Each of her songs has a seductive vibe to it, either directly or indirectly. “You Can Bring Your Dog” uses the metaphor of dog and cat breeds to play off the type of men and women looking for love. Santa here isn’t looking to tie the knot but is instead looking for a good time, “I’m not makin’ any promises/ I’m not livin’ to be the Mrs./ I’m not makin’ any promises honey.” The song takes on a classic rock-inspired sound. It’s a little dirtier, a little Debbie Harry or Pat Benatar, sonically. This helps to sell the idea she’s pushing; I just don’t quite connect with the songwriting on the song as well.
“Secret Spell” falls more in line with an adult alternative sound. The jaunty guitars play very well against Amos’ piano lines. The spell she sings upon seems to be a metaphor for her youthful sensuality and sense of adventure. The lines, “girl you got to do a 180/ disappointment you know it well/ but you losing you/ was not a part of this plan”, appear to be a direct call out to her wild side of youth that she is not planning on letting go of. The ragged singing style Tori takes on works well to conjure up this seductive side.
“Programmable Soda” is a tongue-in-cheek take on sexuality. If things get a little too kinky, she goes a little vanilla or tries a little something different. She goes about this through the notion of soda, you can change flavors of on the fly, “Think of me as programmable soda/ Too much cherry?/ Baby then you can just add cola/ Think of me as programmable soda.” Although playful in the same way “Mr. Zebra” was, something about the lyrical idea of programmable soda doesn’t quite hit the mark.
“Dragon” is the final track on the album. The “dragon” she sings about is this man’s need for sexual release. I love the mix of the reverbed Wurlitzer that goes into the piano and sampled Mellotron flutes (again a call back to the sound on “She’s Your Cocaine”. The lyrics, “‘Cause your wild card Boy needs playing/ Don’t believe the lie/ your Dragon needs slaying/ Won’t you lay here with me/ and I will bring/ kisses for the beast/ Lay here with me,” are some of the most sensual and wonderfully written on the album. She really gives off the essence of “come here, let me take care of you” excellently.
Tori’s section is more of a mix of thought processes. You get a little empowerment, some political takes, a little anger, and some playfulness tying together the other Dolls into her being.
“Big Wheel” is the first single off the album with a strong southern flare. Here, Amos is aiming to empower herself against those who want to keep her down, “Then you call me call me in/ You think I am your possession
you’re/ Messing with a southern girl/ But my recipe is on/ With your
stale bread yeah it’s hot/ But baby I don’t need your cash/ so BABY maybe I let your/ Big Wheel turn my/ Fantasy.” She’s not going to let others' malice dull her shine or poison the waters of those around her. One of the big standouts is the countdown to her “MILF” line, showing she knows she’s still got it. This is also the first time Amos included a line that she used in several interviews back in the day, “So you are a superstar/ get off the cross we need the wood”, calling out this martyr mentality. The sexy southern-infused jig is a rather fun number and will surely get you singing alone.
“Digital Ghost” in some ways feels like a cousin to Kate Bush’s “Deeper Understanding”. This person Tori is trying to reach is slowly fading into a sort of robotic individual, “I swam into your shores/ through an open window/ Only to find you all alone/ Curled up with machines/ now it seems you’re slipping/ out of the land of the living.” In one way you can argue this person is fading away due to losing their sense of self, which could make this person suicidal, while on the other hand it could a commentary on the every growing need to be plugged into the internet for validation and connection. This slow burner of a piano rock track falls just short for me. I wish it had either taken to a bit of a darker place or potentially given a more sentimental vibe. As is, it just doesn’t quite do it for me.
“Father’s Son” is a very apparent call out of the indoctrination of our young men into the realms of violence and war. She calls this out point blank in the song’s chorus, “So it ends so it begins/ I’m my father’s son/ Plant another seed of hate/ in a trusting virgin gun.” Tori really sells this mournful tone well with her dual electric and acoustic piano melodies. “Code Red” revives a bit of the Plugged sound that she had back around the Choirgirl and Venus era. I find the hovering synths and drawn-out bass and guitar lines to call back to this especially.
“Code Red” is a song about being a veteran in the music business. She’s tasted successes and weathered failures and can espy all the double talk. This mindset can also be a more blanket notion of society. The chorus, “I’ll do this last one and I’ll grow me some wine/ Leave them troubled boys all behind/ What you stole, I would have given freely/ Code Red staring Code Red staring”, could be viewed as a statement against greed in general.
“Posse Bonus” is one of the tracks I honestly feel could have easily been left off the album without any issue. It’s a final intermission of sorts that feels a bit self-aware of its inclusion, “This is your posse bonus/ This is your extra/ This is your posse bonus/ Because I like you.”
Compared to the lacy presentation of The Beekeeper, American Doll Posse has quite a bit of texture to play with. Amos was ambitious, bringing in all kinds of keyed instruments: synths, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, Upright, Bösendorfer, and the clavichord. Separating the Dolls by their songs helps to add much more cohesion to the concept she is going for. However, looking at the tracks from start to finish, they don’t flow as well from one to the other.
Much like its predecessor, American Doll Posse could use some trimming of extra weight. Tracks like “You Can Bring Your Dog”, “Fat Slut”, “Posse Bonus”, and “Mr. Bad Man” could have all been taken off the album and it would have changed nothing. It’s an interesting and unique piece in the catalog that brings back a welcomed grit.
My overall breakdown of American Doll Posse:
Loved it: “Big Wheel,” “Bouncing off of Clouds,” “Teenage Hustling,” “Girl Disappearing,” “Father’s Son,” “Code Red,” “Roosterspur Bridge,” “Beauty of Speed,” “Smokey Joe,” “Dragon”
Liked it: “Yo George,” “Digital Ghost,” “You Can Bring Your Dog,” “Fat Slut,” “Secret Spell,” “Devils and Gods,” “Body and Soul,” “Almost Rosey,” “Dark Side of the Sun”
Disliked it: “Mr. Bad Man,” “Programmable Soda,” “Velvet Revolution,” “Posse Bonus”
My overall rating: 6.0 out of 10.
