American Doll Posse, Tori Amos' ninth studio album, continues her penchant for overarching concepts. Amos did this previously on 2002's Scarlet's Walk, cataloguing a woman's journey through the United States, and 2005's The Beekeeper. While these albums were lackluster at best, the highs of American Doll Posse rival some of her best songs from Under the Pink, Boys for Pele or From the Choirgirl Hotel.
Thematically and conceptually, American Doll Posse has the most in common with 2001's Strange Little Girls, a collection of cover songs originally performed by male artists (The Beatles, Eminem and Tom Waits, for example) and retold from a female perspective. Like Strange Little Girls, Amos creates additional alter egos, complete with new songs and wardrobes for American Doll Posse. Each character—five altogether, including one named Tori, naturally—sings songs exploring different aspects of female experience. One character, Isabel, sings about political disappointment in songs such as ""Yo George,"" the album's opening song, and ""Dark Side of the Sun,"" an anti-war ballad.
One of the catchiest and prettiest songs on American Doll Posse is ""Bouncing Off Clouds,"" which would sound at home next to the sweeping orchestral gems of Under the Pink. It also showcases her unique and cryptic lyrics: ""Make it easy / Make this easy / It's not as heavy as it seems / Wrapped in metal / Wrapped in ivory / Painted in mint ice cream.""
Another album highlight is ""You Can Bring Your Dog,"" a darkly humorous song with lots of electric guitar. Amos growls through killer lines like ""I'm not making any promises / I'm not living to be the Mrs."" ""You Can Bring Your Dog"" is easily one of her best rock 'n' roll kiss-offs, along with ""She's Your Cocaine"" from Choirgirl or ""Precious Things"" from her debut Little Earthquakes.
Other songs on American Doll Posse in a similar vein include ""Teenage Hustling"" and ""Fat Slut,"" both as harsh and full of venom as they sound.
American Doll Posse comes off as a challenge at first: With 23 songs at more than 80 minutes, it's hard to digest in one sitting. However, with repeated listening, these songs show the lyrical beauty and passion of Amos' earlier work. While American Doll Posse lacks the cohesive intensity seen on earlier albums, it is worth listening to the expanding repertoire of one of the most eccentric—and most loved—singers.
