Going all the way to #2 on the charts in its first week, Boys for Pele by Tori Amos was released just in time for the founding of Pitchfork, thirty years ago this month. Ironically, they didn't review the album until last year, because this album is catnip for Pitchfork. Pitchfork loves albums like Boys for Pele, albums that are experimental and different from what the artist has done before. I swear they give an extra two points in their review if the music is different, regardless of quality. Indeed, they gave Boys for Pele a 9.2 out of 10, which is very high for Pitchfork ratings. Sometimes experimental and different is a good thing. In the case of Boys for Pele, I'm not so sure that it is.
I should disclose that I am not a Tori Amos fan. Before listening to this album I had only two Tori Amos scrobbles, and I'm 100% sure they were part of some mix or online radio station. I do not choose to listen to her music. I did not like this album; there was nothing on it that interested me. She was trying for something, and either she missed, or she accomplished it but I'm too dumb to understand it.
On the one hand, this album is quite a bit different than most of her work, so it is perhaps less fair to judge her from this one album. On the other hand, this album has not changed my mind about Tori Amos. I think I try to allow my mind to be changed by listening to these thirty year old albums. That didn't happen this time.
My recommendation is to not listen to this album.