Just below the radar

Listen up to Tori Amos and Nine Inch Nails.

Tori Amos releases ‘American Doll Posse’ and Nine Inch Nails releases ‘Year Zero’ on the same day. On paper these two acts seem a world apart however, scratch the surface and they are the next two albums you need to hear.

On note on ‘American Doll Posse’ is the sheer number of songs, there are 23 and it clocks in at just under 79 minutes. Like most long albums there is room for trimming but its nothing like her last album, ‘The Beekeeper’, which could have benefited from entire songs being omitted.

Nine Inch Nails, ‘Year Zero’ has a Tipper Gore inspired warning from the US Bureau of Morality, who said Trent Reznor had no sense of humour.

Both albums have the bible firmly in hand- Tori has hers with alongside blood running down her inside leg and the word ‘shame’ scribbled on her hand. Reznor has his bible juxtaposed with a gun. These albums are not for the God-fearing.

Both albums are also heavy on politics and it is not hard to guess which side of the American fence they sit on. ‘American Doll Posse’ opens with ‘Yo George’, in which Tori sings about ‘the madness of King George’. She was never one to be subtle. In ‘Year Zero’, Reznor has his say with the even more obvious ‘Capital G’, where he opens with “I pushed the button and elected him to office and a/ he pushed the button and it dropped the bomb”… ouch.

Stand out songs are plenty on both. The first four on ‘Doll’ are fantastic; ‘Bouncing off Clouds’ is a true return to form for Amos and would not be out of place on earlier works. ‘Secret Spells’ is another instant kick with a great opening and a sing-along chorus, sure to be a hit at this year’s Oxygen.

‘Almost Rosy’ could be straight off on ‘Under The Pink’ and has some of the loveliest and most poignant lyrics she has written in ages, such as:“we both know they wont mind/ if I just curled up and died”, and “we have all been robbed of song/ and nightingales who throw their arms up/ when is enough enough?”

The lead off single from ‘Year Zero’, ‘The Good Soldier’ is a slow little rumble that you cannot ignore, especially with lines like “bomb right over my head/ step over the dead”. ‘Survialism’ is a dance track with a shout-along chorus. ‘God Given’ is another instant hitter that starts slow but builds quickly and invites: “come on, sing along, everybody now”. This is what Marlin Manson could sound like if he was a musician of Reznor standard. Reznor has the ability to make the most horrible industrial rumblings and random computer-like sounds into good, listenable music, without any of the ponce and nonsense some industrial musicians are so guilty of.

Overall these two albums are never going to get the credit they deserve. The two minds behind them are talented and hard-working musicians who always give their fans the best of their work. While both are a bit on the heavy side to serve as introductions to the musicians, they will be definite fan pleasers.
These albums are not about the download sales or the celebrity gossip but instead they are about creating pieces that people will keep coming back to and going out and performing live.

Thankfully both Tori and Trent will be playing Ireland this summer so no excuses – check them out!

By: Bríd Ryan