BOYS FOR PELE (1996)

Highly ambitious, challenging, idiosyncratic, and confounding, Boys for Pele expands on the more experimental and progressive tendencies of Under the Pink. Amos frequently discards traditional song structures and employs wide-ranging, eclectic instrumentation in her music, while her lyrics seem to grow even more obscure, giving the album a very impressionistic feel. While there are certainly worthwhile moments, her experiments don't always work; some of the songs fail to stick, and it takes a few plays before many start to sink in. Ultimately, Boys for Pele is polarizing: Some Amos fans will only admire her more for taking the risks she does, while others may find to their disappointment that the intimacy and personal connection that helped Amos build her fan base are too difficult to detect. - Steve Huey (All Music Guide)