Here we go… I listened to it twice - once on my stereo, the second time on really nice headphones. It’s difficult to find the appropriate words (in a foreign language anyway), when the mind still wanders and bounces from one place to the other. And wow, Tori does send you to places on this album.

I think I’m not ready yet to describe each and every song on the album in detail and will just stick to some general thoughts and give some insights into individual ones. As confused and puzzled I still feel, I think it is safe to say that I can’t imagine Toriphiles not loving or admiring the album in one way or the other. I think it has some of the most elaborate and artistically adorable music Tori has composed in her entire career. Will it touch you and rip your heart into pieces? I think that remains for everyone to discover.

The three “leaked” songs give a good overview of the sound of the album. In the first part up to track 6 (star whisperer) you meet (in) the dark with rich instrumentation and Tori playing the lowest registers and heaviest left hand she ever used. It surely feels a bit like drowning in a dark roaring sea, with the instruments competing against each other, almost overpowering themselves. It also feels as if the piano just doesn’t want to give in against the other instruments, clinging to its deep dark sounds.

While Battle of Trees (8:49) feels a bit long, Star Whisperer really left me speechless. The nearly 10 minutes of the song felt like a blink of time and I wouldn’t mind if it went on another 10. It starts extremely dark and slow “Lost Star Whisperer - Where have you gone?” and when Tori just lures you slowly in that gloomy corner she breaks free with a light piano and super classic Tori melody doing the lines - “Then I heard you scream from the other side of the mountain - I saw a you I didn’t want to see” - then there is a very classical and absolutely incredible instrumental interlude with an amazing cello solo and when the other instruments kick in, it takes you to all sorts of places with strings and piano riding along. And just when you seem to get lost in the classical improvisation, Tori takes you back to the mountain line and eventually returns to the dark corner of the beginning. How any Toriphile will not love this - I honestly don’t know ))

After that something surprising happens. The mood of the album changes, and while Cactus Practice (track 5) provided a bit of relief, with Job’s Coffin (track 7) it’s as if the sun rises and it all lightens up. While I don’t know what to make of Tash in Snowblind (track 2) I absolutely love her in Cactus Practice and especially Job’s Coffin. I read how someone wrote it’s a shame that Tori does not sing the whole song. I think it is very charming the way it is and helps to spin the album in a slightly different direction…

Nautical I already knew. It’s a lovely melody, but it’s hard to judge against the “new” songs. And then: Your Ghost. What is this one about?!? Honestly. It really got me on the wrong foot. Twice. It made me cry both times. The only other Tori song that ever managed to do that just from listening to studio versions was Toast and Our New Year… Anyway, don’t take it too seriously. For most people it will probably don’t do anything or be regarded cheesy. I don’t know if I’m totally nuts, but I hear her lyrically mentioning playing a Beatles tune and a Bach fugue and then she sings: „Is there such a great divide between your world and mine they both can purify and heal what was cut and bruised” – coming from these both world (loving popwhateveryoucallit music as well as classical – I sing in an Early music group http://www.vocalconsort.at) - this little song just touched me – and then she sings: „Please leave me your Ghost – I will keep him from harm – I understand that you’ve been wounded.“ Very beautifully sung, reminds of an English hymn/psalm and indeed a little Bach.

Like “Your Ghost” (Track 9) “Edge of the Moon” (Track 10) starts also quite sparse with light piano. Love Tori’s voice. Very beautiful and emotional. And just when you think it is over she starts with this „Pretty good year“ like piano and a sort of chorus that sounds like from the Under the Pink era. Lovely.

With The Chase (11) and Night of Hunters (12) we’re back in the story and you get the duets between Tori and Tash and her niece… Need to listen to those a bit more. Wonderful music for sure, but although it sounds similar to the rest it kind of lives in a different place (like cactus practice and snowblind)… Night of Hunters works best for me if I think of it as final song where the story sort of winds up.

Then there is the adorable instrumental Seven Sisters (with piano and clarinet) and Carry… a bit like an aftersong…
Without the lyrics and not being native English I have to admit I didn’t get the fully story yet and I’m really looking forward actually reading the lyrics to it…

What else? I have given away so much anyway and probably bored you to death … All my remarks are written after a few listens, so everything can change for the better or the worse… There is much to discover and understand and like and dislike, but the beautiful thing about this album is that I can imagine listening to it 30 times and still discovering things… getting to terms with some of it or falling in love with this or that. Or maybe not. Who knows. Looking back at all the different albums Tori has done, it is really unbelievable where she took herself and the piano. And while we all know piano Tori, this album still sounds and feels very different and fresh.

Fanboi out.