The 10th album by the 10-time Grammy-nominated Tori Amos, Abnormally Attracted to Sin is her first independent album since ending her contract with Sony. The tracks mostly take the form of stories. From a disturbed mother to a troubled teenager who is involved with married woman, Amos adopts different personae to deal with controversial topics.
Amos' father is a minister and she is often critical of religion, so this album is definitely not for those of faith.
Sin is broadly a pop album, but Amos is also keen to try out different styles in songs such as the jazzy Lady in Blue. But the result is a somewhat fragmented - perhaps even chaotic - album. It kicks off with the gloomy Give, and is followed by Welcome to England, a song about a woman staying with her English boyfriend in his sunless country - Amos herself lives with her English husband in a country house in Cornwall.
Much of the rest of the album is dark, even 'depressing'. But there are exceptions: Mary Jane is surprisingly comedic, and the love songs - in which she doesn't lament the state of the world - let a little light in.
Sin is unlikely to win Amos many new fans, but it will definitely be welcomed by old ones.
