In exactly a month, Tori Amos will unveil her 16th studio album, Ocean to Ocean. Today, we get a preview of the record with “Speaking with Trees,” the art-pop artist’s initial single.
Amos wrote much of Ocean to Ocean during the peak of the pandemic, and “Speaking with Trees” confronts the deep sense of hopelessness and loss she and her fellow artists felt when live music seemed like a distant memory never to return. “Speaking with trees, I’m almost sure/ That they are grieving with me,” Amos sings over a pompous piano arrangement and beefy percussion. Stream it below.
According to a press release, Ocean to Ocean explores topics ranging from environmental concerns to personal upheaval. “We have all had moments that can knock us down,” Amos explained in a statement. “This record sits with you where you are, especially if you are in a place of loss. I am fascinated when someone has gone through a tragedy, and how they work through their grief.”
Amos’ last proper album was 2017’s Native Invader. Last year, she sat down for an episode of Kyle Meredith With…, in which she discussed her second book Resistance: A Songwriter’s Story of Hope, Change, and Courage. She also released a holiday-themed EP titled Christmastide.
