NEWS
Tori Amos: Why Ocean To Ocean was the post-lockdown album fans needed
09 November 2021
The world is a different place since we last heard from iconic singer/songwriter Tori Amos in 2017's Native Invader. In just a couple of years, the world undeniably transformed amidst the tide of Covid and the pandemic. Amos's latest release, Ocean To Ocean (Decca Records/October 2021), reflects upon the immense changes the artist underwent as her world ground to a halt through numerous lockdowns, and traverses the emotional and rocky landscapes of her grief and loss (with the singer having tragically lost her mother in 2019). The album has been lauded by critics since its arrival, with some hailing Ocean To Ocean as her best work in years (The Scotsman), and already labelling the project as “a classic” (Daily Star). The Metacritic site listed the release as one of the “most discussed albums of 2021.”
Amongst the critical acclaim and respect that Amos's latest offering has received comes a much more personal response to the album – from her fans, the listeners, who are finding in Ocean To Ocean an outlet and mirror to their own experiences over recent years. Ocean To Ocean is a time-capsule that encompasses the difficulties of living through a worldwide pandemic, and the isolation, loss and breakdowns that have occurred for many as a result. Whilst Amos's loss is clearly marked by the sad death of her mother, others too have grappled with their own grief in its many shapes and guises.
Ocean To Ocean shares (to some degree) our collective experiences during these unprecedented times, and that has helped mark the album out as something that resonates deeply with the artist's legions of fans across the globe. Amos's fans have always invested in her emotionally because she seems to have a knack for reaching the deepest parts of the human psyche through her music, articulating her experiences and views in ways in which only she can.
Ocean To Ocean is a frank and heartbreaking journey of isolation and loss, but within the collection of tracks her fans can discern hope and recovery, for Amos rarely travels darker paths in her music without keeping a light in sight – and the promise of healing. The eleven-track album is a strongly crafted journey, in which fans are reminded of why they fell in love with Amos's music, and yet there is something distinctly new and fresh sounding to the project. Ocean To Ocean reminds us that Amos is not an artist who rests on past successes, but one who instead forges ahead, beating down new paths.
The release sees a return to her collaboration with drummer Matt Chamberlain and bassist Matt Evans, and as a result the album has a rich and satisfying fullness. Songs such as Swim To New York State stir our emotions in the way only a Tori Amos ballad can. We see faint echoes of past sounds from the likes of 1994’sUnder The Pink here. Unusually so, the primary hook is delivered in the verses, as she references the title and name-checks “the Cornish coast of England" as the distance she would swim to be reunited with the song'sprotagonist. It is filled with a delicious orchestral arrangement courtesy of John Philip Shenale, and it is a shining moment on the album. Swim To New York State is bold yet somehow fragile in its raw openness.
In the track Speaking With Trees, Amos sings of hiding her mother’s ashes under the treehouse, further lamenting as she sings “I cannot let you go.” The track is reminiscent of her earlier work, where she so succinctly marries painful and sensitive lyrical content with offbeat pop hooks.
In Birthday Baby, Amos sings, “this year you survived it all,” which says so much about how the artist was feeling at that time. Fans are reminded of how expertly Amos can craft a satisfying, insidious hook. Sweeping strings serve as a delicious backing to the 4.5 minute journey in which Amos explores the ways in which a woman can be empowered through her own will, determination and self-belief. There are moments of hope and encouragement in the album, and Birthday Baby is certainly amongst them.
Much the same as her previous releases, Ocean To Ocean is a deeply personal affair, yet still resonates with her listeners in a powerful way. This is surely why the new album has already been listed as a favourite amongst her audience, and why, after more than 30 years in the business, Tori Amos is still producing some of the greatest music of our time. Quite frankly, she sings it like it is, in a way no other can.
Ocean To Ocean is available to buy/download now.
Amongst the critical acclaim and respect that Amos's latest offering has received comes a much more personal response to the album – from her fans, the listeners, who are finding in Ocean To Ocean an outlet and mirror to their own experiences over recent years. Ocean To Ocean is a time-capsule that encompasses the difficulties of living through a worldwide pandemic, and the isolation, loss and breakdowns that have occurred for many as a result. Whilst Amos's loss is clearly marked by the sad death of her mother, others too have grappled with their own grief in its many shapes and guises.
Ocean To Ocean shares (to some degree) our collective experiences during these unprecedented times, and that has helped mark the album out as something that resonates deeply with the artist's legions of fans across the globe. Amos's fans have always invested in her emotionally because she seems to have a knack for reaching the deepest parts of the human psyche through her music, articulating her experiences and views in ways in which only she can.
Ocean To Ocean is a frank and heartbreaking journey of isolation and loss, but within the collection of tracks her fans can discern hope and recovery, for Amos rarely travels darker paths in her music without keeping a light in sight – and the promise of healing. The eleven-track album is a strongly crafted journey, in which fans are reminded of why they fell in love with Amos's music, and yet there is something distinctly new and fresh sounding to the project. Ocean To Ocean reminds us that Amos is not an artist who rests on past successes, but one who instead forges ahead, beating down new paths.
The release sees a return to her collaboration with drummer Matt Chamberlain and bassist Matt Evans, and as a result the album has a rich and satisfying fullness. Songs such as Swim To New York State stir our emotions in the way only a Tori Amos ballad can. We see faint echoes of past sounds from the likes of 1994’sUnder The Pink here. Unusually so, the primary hook is delivered in the verses, as she references the title and name-checks “the Cornish coast of England" as the distance she would swim to be reunited with the song'sprotagonist. It is filled with a delicious orchestral arrangement courtesy of John Philip Shenale, and it is a shining moment on the album. Swim To New York State is bold yet somehow fragile in its raw openness.
In the track Speaking With Trees, Amos sings of hiding her mother’s ashes under the treehouse, further lamenting as she sings “I cannot let you go.” The track is reminiscent of her earlier work, where she so succinctly marries painful and sensitive lyrical content with offbeat pop hooks.
In Birthday Baby, Amos sings, “this year you survived it all,” which says so much about how the artist was feeling at that time. Fans are reminded of how expertly Amos can craft a satisfying, insidious hook. Sweeping strings serve as a delicious backing to the 4.5 minute journey in which Amos explores the ways in which a woman can be empowered through her own will, determination and self-belief. There are moments of hope and encouragement in the album, and Birthday Baby is certainly amongst them.
Much the same as her previous releases, Ocean To Ocean is a deeply personal affair, yet still resonates with her listeners in a powerful way. This is surely why the new album has already been listed as a favourite amongst her audience, and why, after more than 30 years in the business, Tori Amos is still producing some of the greatest music of our time. Quite frankly, she sings it like it is, in a way no other can.
Ocean To Ocean is available to buy/download now.