Tori Amos is a powerful woman, and a very influential lady. She’s the reason many people love music; she’s the reason many people play music. Her ability to inspire and evoke emotion is unparalleled, and her unequivocal passion, honesty and commitment to her own muse have moved audiences the world over. On her tenth and latest studio album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, the minister’s daughter takes on the role of liberator by redefining sin. Exploring how we come to be controlled, she offers a new concept to the dialogue – erotic spirituality – and, through the women in her songs, reclaims power from the patriarchal belief systems that use their definition of sin to shame and control. The result is an album that’s as uncompromising as it is emotionally salient, purposeful and full of transformative power, much like the artist herself.

Drawing from the diverse sonic architecture she’s amassed over the course of her two-decade career, Amos brings out the full arsenal of instrumentation on Sin’s 17 tracks, and continues to push her own boundaries on the production and compositional fronts. The carefully crafted album features haunting piano balladry (“Curtain Call”), classic Tori waltzes (“Ophelia,” “Maybe California”), spacey synth baths (“Give”), proggy Zeppelin-esque riffs (“Strong Black Vine”), showtune flare (“That Guy,” “500 Miles”), and sometimes all of the above (seven-minute closer “Lady in Blue” and single “Welcome to England”). Neil [Gaiman] is still there when you need him – “Neil is thrilled he can claim he’s mammalian / ‘But the bad news,’ he said, ‘Girl, you’re a dandelion’” (“Not Dying Today”) – and another influential character, Doug Morris, Amos’ mentor at Atlantic Records whom she credits for breaking her into the mainstream, returns behind the scenes for the first time in 14 years via her new joint venture with Universal Republic.

The album hints back to the logic in art and packaging of Scarlet’s Walk (Epic, 2002) with its secret website and accompanying 16 “visualettes,” or silent movies. Directed by Christian Lamb, these visualettes are comprised of footage he shot during Amos’ American Doll Posse tour, along with live footage and new material, and were integral to the process of Sin.

Popdose caught up with Amos on the phone at her home in Cornwall, England as she prepared to take Sin on a three-month world tour, which kicked off in Seattle Friday, July 10. (more…)