Spirituality is tangled inexorably with power and patriarchy for Tori Amos. On Amos' third solo record, the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele serves as her alter-ego, presenting a threat to Amos' ever-present, menacing father figures. On "Muhammad My Friend," she warns, "I know you've seen fire/But you've never seen fire/Until you've seen Pele blow." Amos is equally intrigued by other strong, angry females--on "Twinkle," she admires "a girl twice as hard" who reportedly killed a man. In contrast to her words, Amos tends toward restrained, ethereal vocals; they occasionally verge on ferocity but never quite make it all the way. Her piano and harpsichord playing is, by turns, delicate and passionate. Contrasts like those between confessional and enigmatic lyrics, and between an underlying sense of anger and a voice that holds back from truly expressing it, create an electric tension throughout BOYS FOR PELE. PELE is the first record Amos has self-produced, and it branches out from her previous work, exploring more loosely structured songwriting and experimenting with the use of strings, brass and a gospel choir.

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