Mixed with girl not so peaceful, angel and animal*

competing for winner of the stunning CD packaging award of the year, are the latest offerings from bjork, volta and tori amos, american doll posse.

musically, both are concept albums, but very different with it.
have only had a first listen to volta, having heard nothing about this pre-release, bar one personal recommendation, which featured the word challenging. definately in the avant garde bracket, there's a duet with anthony hegarty that's quite beautiful. i admire bjork so much, but i find it hard not to long for her earlier work. this is gonna take several listens to work out in what setting this will be best listened to. she's pushing boundaries still but i can't help but think the challenging nature of the arrangements competes with the sheer beauty of her vocals.

tori on the other hand, has given a much more accessible and rather brilliant 23 track album featuring songs by tori and 4 alter egos, (roll your mouse across that page for names and there's at least 2 great tracks to hear just by leaving the page open), each of whom will perform on her upcoming tour. i spent an extra quid and got the special edition with a dvd. she is exquisitely beautiful, like porcelain. well worth hearing is her interview with jonathon ross yesterday. you can listen again at the bbc 2 website. it's quirky and funny, and restores my faith in the institution of marriage. or her's anyway.

that interview featured a live performance of father's son, which is a gorgeous gorgeous track...with 23 tracks there's a lot of lyrics to get a handle on, and i'm yet to distinguish the identifying characteristics of the different members of the posse by sound alone. this is a multi media project (tori's words) and this is an album that's gonna give hours of discovery and playful interaction.

her vocals and piano playing are, as ever, perfection. in response to a remark by ross that her playing was incredible, she said, "but it's all i can do. i [can't] cook and clean. husband says, 'i didn't marry you to cook and clean so, please, don't'."

this makes me want to go get the albums in her back catalogue i've missed.

so, if you have to make a choice, go for tori. JMHO.

right ikon is tonight. much to do.

LB,x

* from Secret Spell by t. amos