REVIEWSTori Amos, ‘Night of Hunters’

7

• SPIN Rating:7 of 10

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Release Date: September 20, 2011
Label: Deutsche Grammophon

Here's the deal: A shape-shifting fox, Anabelle, guides our protagonist, Tori, on a time-traveling song cycle through a forest of glass, the Nine Underworlds, and a seaside cottage splashed with blood. They're looking for Mr. Right, but the more intriguing characters include Liquid Mistress, Seven Lords of Time, "Flying Thing," and a talking grain of corn. A touch batty? Certainly, but Amos' classical-label debut is a wildly imaginative ride full of orchestral fireworks and fairy-tale melodrama, though anyone with a Ren Faire aversion should stick to more straight-ahead songs like "Edge of the Moon" and "Job's Coffin."