Harsh Words and Sin

This week: Little Foot Long Foot and Tori Amos

Little Foot Long Foot: Harsh Words

I am a big believer in Montreal’s music scene.  Hell, you only have to look at the roster of talent both signed and unsigned here in town to see that Montreal is seething with great local music.  More proof of our great local talent can be found among the links across CONFRONT Magazine’s many sections: we’ve interviewed, reviewed and enjoyed some of the best music that Montreal has to offer.

So, why is it that some of the best Indie releases I listen to lately come out of Toronto, our city’s chief rival in all things?

Case in point: Indie Rockers Little Foot Long Foot are releasing their debut album, ‘Harsh Words’ and having listened to an advanced copy, I’m blown away.  Most of the critical comparison of LFLF’s music compares them to more contemporary acts, like Neko Case, L7, and The Black Keys.  However, I think it would be better to compare this Blues Rock rooted duo to the originals, the masters: I was reminded of the very early work of Led Zeppelin, the Who, Cream, The Yardbirds, and The Guess Who; in short, Little Foot Long Foot deserve to be counted among the masters.

Of the 11 songs on the album it’s hard to pick out any favourite.  Whether it’s the lambasting attack on pretentious hipster culture on “King Hipster” or the rocking intensity of “Stripper Song” or the gritty “Isolation Blues” or the two-stepping “Thank You”, or any of the other amazing pieces on this disc, this is one hell of a rocking album.  The only flaw is that Joan Smith’s vocals occasionally fail to meet the songs’ intensity.  For the most part she nails it out of the park, and overall the album can be forgiven for small vocal inconsistencies.

‘Harsh Words’ is, thematically, an attack on a lot of different subjects by a very angry duo.  But they manage to do so without appearing venomous or self-righteous.  In fact, they manage to make their subject matter into an excuse for belting out some near-perfect, ass-kicking Blues Rock.

Little Foot Long Foot: Harsh Words

Independently Released

Steve’s Rating: 9/10

Tori Amos: Abnormally Attracted To Sin

I got the girlish gushing and squealing over Tori Amos’ tenth studio album out when I got my grubby mitts on it and put it on my MP3 player.

When dealing with an artist as distinctive and phenomenal as Tori Amos, it is impossible not to compare a new release with previous efforts.  Arguably, her best work was ‘Boys For Pele’ and its follow-up, ‘From The Choirgirl Hotel’.  After these plateaus, Amos released the rather disappointing ‘To Venus And Back’, and then ‘Strange Little Girls’.  While things improved with the subsequent three albums (each better than the last) ‘Scarlett’s Walk’, ‘The Beekeeper’, and ‘American Doll Posse’, it looked like Tori’s glory days were behind her.

‘Abnormally Attracted To Sin’ approaches ‘Choirgirl’ in its musical styling, power and mood; the music is appropriately melancholy and contemplative by turns, and it seems on this one Tori has rediscovered how to keep her playful side in check; Once upon a time that mischievous little faerie often brought much needed light-hearted relief to the otherwise-heavy subject matter of Tori Amos’ music.  In later albums, even on such greats as ‘Beekeeper’ and ‘Posse’ that faerie would derail the musical train, instead of simply switching its tracks.  Now the lightness comes in when-and stays only as long as-needed.

The album opens with the languid sensuality of “Give”, a quintessential Tori Amos tune, with the petulant follow-up, “Welcome To England” and the suggestive “Strong Black Vine”.  While officially the album explores religious themes, such as on songs like “Flavor” and “Police Me” among others, the whole album is steeped in a subtle yet seething eroticism.  While sensuality and sexuality are not new themes for Amos to explore, she has usually limited herself to a song or two, such as “Raspberry Swirl” from ‘Choirgirl’, “Precious Things” from ‘Little Earthquakes’ or “Icicle” from ‘Under The Pink’, the whole of ‘Abnormally Attracted To Sin’ seems to be steeped in an unprecedented sexual vibe.

Perhaps it’s the connection between sex and religion that has drawn this element to the forefront; perhaps Amos is just experiencing a new sexual awakening and has used that as her muse for this album of confessional and contemplative music.  Whatever the case may be, ‘Abnormally Attracted To Sin’ is one of her best albums, and certainly THE best, since ‘From The Choirgirl Hotel’.

In any event, this album is Tori Amos in top form: The music is confessional, intelligent, emotive, appropriately cryptic and will leave you discovering more and more with multiple listening.  And, I am personally ecstatic that the new Tori Amos album is such a good one.

Tori Amos: Abnormally Attracted to Sin

Universal Republic

Steve’s Rating: 10/10