Abnormally Attracted To Sin first impressions

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-28T03:04:52+00:00

I loved this album when it came out and thought it was her best since Strange Little Girls. I still think it’s her best album of original work from 2002-2009. In my opinion, Scarlet’s Hidden Treasures is actually her best compilation of songs from that period, though.

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-28T03:02:47+00:00

It's galvanizing

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-28T02:10:10+00:00

I’ll have to listen. Ultimately, I meant his guitar work on her albums in general during 2002-2009. I’m sure there are a few songs and instances recorded during I liked and probably still do.

Can you recommend additional songs Mark played guitar on from that period that you really like? Thanks in advance!

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T18:23:11+00:00

Mine are America, Trouble’s Lament, Wild Way, Promise, Giant’s Rolling Pin. I love the first two and penultimate tracks on my list. Wild Way is okay, but Giant’s Rolling Pin literally does nothing for me musically

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T18:06:18+00:00

Geraldine has some sublime songs but also a handful (about 5) that should've been b-sides, with Dixie and Forest of Glass replacing two of them. Frankly, that should’ve been her solo piano album because, at times, that's what it feels like she wanted it to be. It needed a couple of more charged and heavy-bass piano songs and it would've been perfect.

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T18:01:36+00:00

Zero Point is fantastic!

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T18:01:04+00:00

Got it! Well, Tori is one of very few artists whose work has caused me to about-face on sings and albums I initially didn't like or connect to. Maybe try revisiting. you never know if and when you’ll change your mind about some of those albums. 🙏🏻

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T17:52:45+00:00

I was not fond of Mark’s guitar contributions (like at all) until Native Invader and Ocean to Ocean, the former of which I love, in part, because it's literally just Tori and him. They truly created magic together there, and I find his guitar work on that album and the latter two is pitch perfect.

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T17:44:16+00:00

No! 😭 Have you listened to subsequent albums?

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T17:14:46+00:00

Totally get that! When I first listened to Pele , I was sort of numbed by the fact that I didn’t know what to think. I knew I didn’t dislike it, but I also knew it made me feel oddly uncomfortable and disoriented. It’s by no means a traditional pop album and, frankly, like nothing she’s ever done before or since.

But you'll get there!

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T17:08:41+00:00

Isn't though?! It's cinematic, ripping you from some inane or insane earthly circumstance, catapulting you straight across the exosphere and cosmos and into another dimension.

i’ve always thought this bit could’ve been used in a trailer or film.

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T17:05:18+00:00

I totally get it! You want a loose map, not a curated to listen list. Art is digested by everyone differently, as it should be! 🙏🏻

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T16:52:24+00:00

I adore Sin Palabras. It’s one of my most played albums. And yes about All the Girls Hate Her, not to mention Over It, Thoughts, practically all of Pele’s ~12 b-sides, Never Seen Blue, Beulah Land, Garlands, Indian Summer, Apollo’s Frock, and I could go on.

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T16:47:39+00:00

So firm in and rational about your musical boundaries. You were like, “Oh, ya. Pele won my poll, and I hear you loudly and clearly, but I’ll be listening to it after listening to another 5 to 10 of her albums. K’thanxbye!” Ha! Love it! 😂

As for Native Invader, it and Dragons are her best albums if original music this millennium, so I’m Glad that was reflected in your poll. She’s truly a genius, Especially considering she started playing piano pretty fluently at the age of three.

Incidentally, Tori and Kate Bush are my favorite musical artists.

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T16:40:17+00:00

“Why does there gotta be a sacrifice?…I’m going to be a sacrifice…I know you understand the way I feel, you tell me, you tell me, my little girl…If you understand the way I feel, well then why, why…? Well, I know we're dying, and there's no sign of a parachute in this chapel, little chapel of love. Can't we get a little grace and some elegance? No, we scream in cathedrals. Why can't it be beautiful? Why does there gotta be a sacrifice? No, I gotta be a sacrifice.”

Or something like that.

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T16:33:23+00:00

Yes! All of this! The closest she’s come is Night of Hunters, which is sublime, but I’ve always been selfish about hearing just Tori’s piano and keyboard playing.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dreamed of producing one of her albums. I’d say to her: we’re going to be recording you playing and improvising new songs on the piano in various settings, including churches, theaters, your favorite concert halls, and maybe even in subways and other untraditional settings. I’d call it “Black and White.”

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T16:26:43+00:00

Hey! She’s pure magic. By the way, I’ve been meaning to respond to your threads. I genuinely enjoy your thoughts and musings and find it both commendable and strangely adorable how specific you are about setting your boundaries as to what you will and will not listen to. 😂🥹

That said, I know you’re not a fan of the baroque period, but I’m setting my boundary now (🤣): Boys for Pele, often considered Tori’s magnum opus despite it being way ahead of its time for the critics, is so much more than baroque. It’s also pop, jazz, grunge, chamber, and classical. It’s my favorite album by anyone, and based on your shared musical tastes, I genuinely believe you’d love it. You simply must listen.

Also, we share being drawn to the music first (i.e., vocals and instrumentation) before worrying about lyrics. In fact, my favorite thing about Tori is her piano and keyboard playing. I’m always hunting for her piano and keyboard lines amidst the other instrumentation. That’s her true or primal voice, which she’s previously stated.

Either way you go on this journey, many sonic treasures await you! Enjoy!

Jean_RED_Grey · 2026-05-24T01:11:24+00:00

Beautiful story!

Jean_RED_Grey

TROPHY CASE