Amos’ piano, more often than not, is deceptively soft her voice drips with bitter disappointment or fills with paranoid self-awareness, as on the opener “Pretty Good Year,” an apparent paean to idyllic childhood in which Greg, the young protagonist, “writes letters with his birthday pen/Sometimes he’s aware that they’re drawing him in.” Her acoustic bent is well served on the album: The piano is not hidden beneath grandiose group arrangements as it was on her previous outing Little Earthquakes (1992), and her quirky hesitations and sudden shrieks are more in tune with the emotional states of her characters. Once again, Amos accompanies herself on piano, with drums, bass and guitar assisting the occasional string arrangement or synth is added for not-so-subtle effect. God, parents, boyfriends, girlfriends, herself: No one escapes judgment. She is armed with an attention-grabbing mezzo-soprano and lyrics that can kill with a turn of phrase. Under the Pink, Tori Amos’ second solo album, continues the singer/songwriter’s exploration of her life’s journey from the confines of a strict religious upbringing to personal and artistic freedom.
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