'Abnormally Attracted to Sin' by Tori Amos

Tori Amos

"Abnormally Attracted to Sin"

Universal Republic Records

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From the blood-soaked opening thumps of "Abnormally Attracted to Sin," it's obvious that Tori Amos is still the reigning muse for mystic goth girls. The new 17-song collection strikes a balance between Victorian-inspired decadence, mythical pathos and arch camp.

For all her theatrics, Amos is also the warm and wise sister-goddess, passing on advice she's learned the hard way.

"Abnormally Attracted to Sin," a wild-girl wink of a title if there ever was one, is rife with idiosyncrasies, and occasionally Amos, her British husband-producer Mark Hawley and co-producer Marcel Van Limbeek smear too much pancake makeup on an already gussied up affair.

But when the record hits the sweet slithery spot, like on the title track, the album's themes of temptation -- whether that be to fundamental religion, self-destruction or self-medicating vices -- simmer together with wit and heart.

It's a relief to hear something bright and muscular. "Not Dying Today" is a survivor's song, with the second-hand wisdom that music and good friends can ward off death, at least temporarily.

-- Margaret Wappler

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A return to more delicate sounds

Iron and Wine

"Around the Well"

Sub Pop

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In 2007 Sam Beam surprised fans of his indie-folk outfit Iron and Wine with "The Shepherd's Dog," on which he and a cast of enablers (including producer Brian Deck) tricked out Beam's acoustic lullabies with noisy electric guitars and funky West African rhythms. The album was a bold artistic leap from a band not known for its boldness.

If "The Shepherd's Dog" cost Beam any of his devotees, this double-disc rarities set should win them back. Though it collects 23 tracks from a variety of sources -- movie soundtracks, out-of-print singles, album-outtake reels -- "Around the Well" mostly adheres to the established Iron and Wine sound. Think delicate guitar patterns overlaid with breathy close-harmony vocals.

But the music's familiarity doesn't take away from its loveliness. In "Morning" he channels the innocence of "Our House"-era Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, while "Communion Cups and Someone's Coat" mines a deep vein of homesick melancholy.

Several covers demonstrate how durable Beam's approach remains; his stripped-down versions of Stereolab's "Peng! 33" and New Order's "Love Vigilantes" make it hard to remember the sleek electronic surfaces of the originals.