Fridae

Thanks to Ms Tori Amos, Ms Scary has been banned from a particular pig farm in Johor after being caught red-handed trying to photograph herself breastfeeding a squirming piglet a la Boys for Pele (1996) (oh the indignity!).

Fortunately, Ms Scary does not hold Ms Amos responsible - otherwise yours truly would have missed the gifted gamine's ninth and latest album, The Bee-Keeper (released as a companion to her new book Tori Amos: Piece By Piece), which offers 19 new tracks and clocks in at a bladder-bursting 80 minutes.

Using the twin motifs of gardens and bee-keeping, the prolific singer-songwriter divides her songs in her new album into different gardenscapes, presents the lyrics in hexagonal honey-combs and drapes herself in what appears to be leftover curtain fabrics.

Cross-pollinating the sounds of her usual Bosendorfer piano with a vintage B3 Hammond organ, Afro-Cuban drums and Gospel vocals, the flame-haired musician creates a collection of intimate pastoral fables that combine the piano-driven melodies of Little Earthquakes (1992) with the pop sensibility of Scarlett's Walk (2002).

With kooky song titles such as "The Power of Orange Knickers" (a duet with Damien Rice) and "Hoochie Woman" and poetry for lyrics ("Your left me burning in your petrol emotion" ("Witness"); "I've even curved this body to fit your bow" ("Cars and Guitars")), The Bee-Keeper showcases Ms Amos at her intoxicatingly idiosyncratic best.

Ms. Scary's Selected Spins: "Parasol," "Sweet The Sting," "Jamaica Inn," "Sleeps With Butterflies," "General Joy," "Cars and Guitars," "Ireland" and "Martha's Foolish Ginger."