"Trouble's Lament" is a song by American singer/songwriter

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

from her 14th studio album, ''

Unrepentant Geraldines ''Unrepentant Geraldines'' is the fourteenth studio album by American musician Tori Amos. It was released on May 9, 2014 through Mercury Classics. The album marks a return to pop and rock music after several releases in the classical genre. Re ...

'' (2014). It was released as the album's lead promotional single on March 28, 2014, by Universal/Mercury Classics as a digital download only.

Recording and release

''Trouble's Lament'' was announced by Amos on March 27 to be the first song available from the album. Cover art was released on Amos' social media sites the same day, along with the album's complete track list. Musically, the song is influenced by different musical styles, including

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana music, a genre or style of American music * Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1981 film), an American drama film * ''Americana'' (20 ...

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

Flamenco Flamenco () is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the Gitanos, gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Region of Murcia, ...

and

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...

. Amos' piano playing is accompanied by

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

and sparse percussion. The instrumentation is similar to the music of

Neko Case Neko Richelle Case ( ; born September 8, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and member of the Canadian indie rock group the New Pornographers. Case's singing voice has been described by contemporaries and critics as a "flamethrower", "a pow ...

Patty Griffin Patricia Jean Griffin (born March 16, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.Griffin, Patricia She is a vocalist and plays guitar and piano. She is known for her stripped-down songwriting style in the folk music genre. Her songs ...

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...

and Amos' own past production on the predominantly acoustic ''

Scarlet's Walk ''Scarlet's Walk'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter and pianist Tori Amos. It was released on October 28, 2002 in the UK and October 29 in the US on Epic Records, making it her first release on the label after her split w ...

'' (2002). The song's lyrics finds Amos stating that "Trouble needs a home" after having left Satan behind, and sings about welcoming Danger into her life. Of the song's style and background, Amos (who is originally from

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

) stated that her Southern roots were influential: "It's really in the blood. It's almost like you listen to the land speaking to you. And wherever I am I can hear the South calling me. I really like the idea that trouble was a young woman....I see her on my travels a lot. And maybe I knew her many years ago when I was in my twenties." Musicians: * Tori Amos, piano and vocals. * Mac Aladdin, acoustic guitar. Personnel: * Music and lyrics by Tori Amos. * Produced by Tori Amos. * Mixed and mastered by Mark Hawley and Marcel van Limbeek.

Music video

The accompanying music video was shot on location in London, featuring Amos in a diner in

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

. At points in the video three young women (with the help of a young gay male waiter) come into the diner and provide distractions to steal data and files from two businessmen. Their tactics include spilling coffee on one man and having the waiter flirt with the other. They also interact with Amos' character who watches from a nearby table. The end shot shows Amos handing the three women new passports as they sit in the back of her car. On April 18, Amos shared behind-the-scenes snapshots of the production, showing some "new friends" and stating that filming was still underway. The video was released on May 28, 2014 via Amos' Facebook fan page.

Critical reception

Reactions to the song were highly positive. The track was noted as being signature Amos, with most critics complimenting the song's Americana-influence, Amos' vocal performance, the dark lyrics and the rippling piano. ''Rolling Stone'' called the song "haunting and eerie," with a showcase vocal range. ''SPIN'' found it to be a "perfect return" and an "undeniably good look" for Amos. ''Consequence of Sound'' said it was a charming song with "otherworldly" harmonies. ''Broadway World'' called the track "an eerie Southern blues song," noting that Amos' voice is "matchless." ''Noisey'' likewise took pleasure in the Americana-influence and vocals. ''PinkIsTheNewBlog'' stated its love for the track, favourably comparing the musical style to ''

.'' Music blog ''Nuwave Pony'' also expressed love for the song's "groovy, sinister arrangement" and "honey-coated vocals." Indie music site ''Death and Taxes'' likened the song to

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer-songwriter. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automat ...

's work on ''

Let England Shake ''Let England Shake'' is the eighth studio album by the English singer-songwriter and musician PJ Harvey, released on 14 February 2011 by Island Records. Production began around the time of '' White Chalk''s release in 2007, though it is a depart ...

,'' finding Amos' track to be more upbeat and accessible. ''Exclaim!'' called it a "dust-kicking" and spooky track with luscious vocals. ''Stereogum'' stated that the song was "exactly what we want from Tori." ''Glide Magazine'' found Amos' vocals to be "fresh, sultry and inviting," in top form and reminiscent of her work in the early 1990s. ''Flavorwire'' called the track a typically pretty Amos song, stating: "what's not to love?" ''Under the Gun Review'' said the track "is full of spice and any fan of Tori Amos will enjoy it." ''Faster Louder'' included the song in their weekly should-hear music roundup, commenting that it was exactly what fans would enjoy. ''Mxdwn.com'' called it a soulful blues track, noting Amos' one-of-a-kind vocals and talent for thought-provoking lyrics.

References

External links

Official YouTube video of "Trouble's Lament"

Official Tori Amos website
{{Tori Amos Tori Amos songs 2014 singles Rock ballads Songs written by Tori Amos Universal Republic Records singles 2014 songs