All Songs Considered: Bon Iver talks to God, plus Tori Amos

Summary

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NPR Music: All Songs Considered — Bon Iver Talks to God, Plus Tori Amos

Release Date: March 24, 2026
Hosts: Robin Hilton (C), Lars Gotrich (B)

Episode Overview

This episode of “All Songs Considered” on the NPR Music podcast takes listeners on a journey through brand new music releases, unearthing rarities, long-awaited comebacks, and the enduring power of hope and catharsis in song. Robin and Lars offer commentary and personal reactions, starting with Bon Iver’s “Heavenly Father,” highlighting the Midwest’s musical legacy, and exploring artists ranging from cult alt-country pioneers Sold American to powerful new tracks by Francis of Delirium. The episode concludes with a discussion of Tori Amos’s resilience and Neurosis’s cathartic return. Themes of perseverance, healing, and sonic exploration run throughout, with a focus on music’s unique capacity to reflect and transform our inner lives.

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Segment Breakdown & Highlights

1. Opening Banter & Podcast Housekeeping

Timestamps: 00:32–02:15

• The episode opens with personal banter about the NCAA tournament before Robin reminds listeners about the new format for NPR Music podcasts, including the “All Songs Considered” release schedule.
• Robin and Lars discuss the variety of NPR Music's offerings, like deep dives on iconic songs (“Fantasy” by Mariah Carey) and the inclusion of cult heroes and new album roundups.

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2. Bon Iver — “Heavenly Father (Live)”

Timestamps: 02:15–08:56

• Background:

  • Bon Iver's new live album “Volumes One: Selections from Music Concerts 2019–2023” highlights rare and previously unreleased tracks.
  • “Heavenly Father,” first written in 2014 for the Zach Braff film “Wish I Was Here,” previously unavailable to stream, is a highlight.

• Listening Segment: (03:21–07:13) — Extended sample of the live version.

• Discussion & Key Insights:

  • Lars says the live version “sounds like if Sylvan Esso made a heartland rock song… if they had covered, like, John Cougar Mellencamp or something.” (07:15–07:29)
  • Robin describes the live cut as “more euphoric... kind of raw in a way. It cuts to the bone in a way that the… studio version doesn’t.” (07:51–08:12)
  • The band intends to release more “Volumes” of vault recordings.

• Notable Quote:

  • Lars: “It’s super earnest. But in this case, it’s over synths and electronics and kind of like a weird little sample that’s been looped.” (08:12–08:24)

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3. Sold American — “Freeing Wheels”

Timestamps: 08:56–14:28

• Background:

  • Cult Chicago band releasing its first album, “Sanctions,” in 30 years.
  • Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) is a noted fan—he picked one of their songs for Pitchfork’s “A Song I Wish I’d Written.”

• Listening Segment: (10:28–12:55)

• Discussion & Key Insights:

  • Robin hears “Neil Young in this… something out of After the Gold Rush or Comes a Time.” (12:55–13:02)
  • Lars notes: “Everything is a little out of phase… no metronome… strange sense of time. That’s how their music has always existed… makes you want or need to slow down.” (13:02–13:35)
  • Robin reflects on the song’s theme: “Reconsidering the idea of what it means to be free and wild… Being free and wild doesn’t have to be chaos. It can be quiet and simple and restrained.” (13:35–13:56)
  • The band’s comeback was long-anticipated; album releases in April.

• Notable Quote:

  • Lars: “You just summed up the entirety of Sold American.” (13:56–14:00)

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4. Francis of Delirium — “It’s a Beautiful Life”

Timestamps: 15:59–22:17

• Lead In:

  • Robin discusses balancing hope and despair.
  • Song explores “finding hope in times of despair… infectious but with a thread of melancholy.” (20:26–20:45)

• Listening Segment: (17:33–20:12)

• Discussion & Key Insights:

  • Lars: “That was giving me, like, Swearin’ and, like, Superchunk… Early Charly Bliss. Big, fuzzy, chunky, riffy indie rock.” (20:13–20:26)
  • Robin: “Rocking and crying at the same time. Absolutely the Robin Hilton and Lars Gottrich jam.” (20:45–20:51)
  • They discuss the subtle “ha ha” vocal flourishes as a metaphor for laughter and resilience.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Lars: “There’s even a little bit of rage in it too… up on a wire / Tightrope over fire / I’m burned out and I’m tired.” (20:51–21:22)

• Context:

  • Jayna Barich (Luxembourg-based) releases her second album “Run Run”—out May 29.

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5. Tara Clerkin Trio — “Somewhere Good”

Timestamps: 22:17–30:54

• Lead In:

  • Lars introduces Bristol’s Tara Clerkin Trio, praising their “woozy and wobbly” music, their ability to make him “feel held,” and their “minimal pedal setup” at shows.

• Listening Segment: (24:19–29:20)

• Discussion & Key Insights:

  • Robin: “I love a repeated guitar line that loops through an entire song… you never grow tired of it… everything else built around it.” (29:58–30:33)
  • Lars: The music is “extremely hypnotic, keeps you off your axis, but keeps you rooted at the same time.” (29:37–29:58)
  • Surprise clarinet adds a unique touch.

• Context:

  • The album “Somewhere Good” releases June 5; Trio on rare US tour.

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6. Tori Amos — “Stronger Together”

Timestamps: 32:14–38:36

• Lead In:

  • Robin lauds Amos for “rejuvenating” and “reinventing piano pop,” stating, “Without Tori Amos, I’m not sure you get Fiona Apple… or Regina Spektor.” (33:13–33:39)
  • Lars admits he respects her but never fully connected with her records, stating “I just don’t like piano pop or piano rock… stems from a long, abiding hatred of Billy Joel.” (37:20–37:36)
  • Lighthearted teasing about Robin’s love for Billy Joel.
  • Tori’s 18th album, “In Times of Dragons,” focuses on hope, perseverance, and shared strength.

• Listening Segment: (34:28–37:12)

• Discussion & Key Insights:

  • Robin notes the “atmospheric” nature and “power” of the song, praising Amos’s ability to craft resilience into music.
  • Lars: “If I’m listening to piano, it’s usually in a jazz or classical context… not in pop or rock.” (37:56–38:10)

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7. Neurosis — “Untethered”

Timestamps: 38:36–45:27

• Background:

  • Neurosis, hugely influential in metal, returns after 10 years with “An Undying Love for a Burning World” after the band underwent major upheaval (Scott Kelly’s departure due to abuse revelations).
  • Aaron Turner (Isis, Sumac) joins on guitar.
  • Lars emphasizes the album’s cathartic power—“about a band that has gone through the fire” (39:13–39:16)—and its core message of hope amidst pain, tying it to the episode’s ongoing theme.

• Listening Segment: (42:00–45:27)

• Discussion & Key Insights:

  • Lars: “Neurosis has always been about catharsis and has never shied away from pain and struggle. But… the thing that keeps us moving… is hope.” (39:33–39:45)
  • Robin admits it's not his “jam,” but recognizes its thematic connection to the rest of the episode.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lars on Bon Iver (07:15):
  “It sounds like if Sylvan Esso made a heartland rock song… if they had covered, like, John Cougar Mellencamp or something.”

• Robin on Sold American (13:35):
  “Being free and wild doesn’t have to be chaos. It can be quiet and simple and restrained. Something as simple as taking a guitar out of its case… is an act of defiance or living free and wild.”

• Lars on Francis of Delirium (20:13):
  “That was giving me, like, Swearin’ and, like, Superchunk… Early Charly Bliss. Big, fuzzy, chunky, riffy indie rock.”

• Robin on Tori Amos (33:13): “I think without Tori Amos, I’m not sure you get Fiona Apple. I’m not sure you get Regina Spektor.”

• Lars on Neurosis (39:33):
  “Neurosis has always been about catharsis and has never shied away from pain and struggle. But they understand that… the underlying thing that keeps us moving… is hope.”

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Thematic Throughline

Throughout, Robin and Lars highlight a common thread among the selections: artists forging hope from darkness and the persistent act of confronting struggle—whether in Bon Iver’s spiritual wrestling, Sold American’s gentle defiance, Francis of Delirium’s cathartic indie-rock, Tori Amos’s communal optimism, or Neurosis’s sonic purging.

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Episode Tracklist

| Artist | Track Title | Album | Release Date | |---------------------------|----------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------| | Bon Iver | “Heavenly Father” | Volumes One (Live) | Apr 3, 2026 | | Sold American | “Freeing Wheels” | Sanctions | Apr 2026 | | Francis of Delirium | “It’s a Beautiful Life” | Run Run | May 29, 2026 | | Tara Clerkin Trio | “Somewhere Good” | Somewhere Good | June 5, 2026 | | Tori Amos | “Stronger Together” | In Times of Dragons | May 1, 2026 | | Neurosis | “Untethered” | An Undying Love for a Burning World | Out now |

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For First-Time Listeners

This episode is a must for music lovers eager to discover new releases with depth, poetic insight, and a throughline of perseverance. The hosts’ banter is grounded in deep musical knowledge and a willingness to reflect on personal biases, guiding listeners with warmth, humor, and genuine curiosity.

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End of Content Summary

Transcript

[A]

This message comes from Angie. If you're tackling a home project, check out angie.com from roofing to remodels and everything in between, Angie connects you with skilled pros who do such a good job, you might trust them to do other things like pull out your tooth or be your kid's godfather. Don't actually ask them to do those things, just let them get the job done. Well, Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust, find a pro for your [e-mail] that's a n g I.com it was a rough weekend for me.

[B]

Okay. How you doing?

[C]

Well, my beloved Kansas Jayhawks went down in the second round of the tournament again.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

They haven't gotten past the first weekend since 2022 when they won it all, but it was a brutal, brutal loss to St. John's Go Jayhawks. Nobody says, go, Jayhawks.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

See?

[C]

Nobody says it's Rock Chalk Jayhawk.

[B]

Okay, I'm sor.

[C]

Rock Chalk Jayhawk.

[B]

Are we gonna do a show?

[C]

This is a show.

[B]

Is this a sports talk show now?

[C]

I wish we had a sports talk show. This episode of All Songs Considered comes to you from the NPR Music podcast, your One Stop Shop for Everything and the Music nerdverse, including Alt Latino. You'll find that in this feed. Every Wednesday, we close out every week with new music Friday, a rundown of the best new albums out. Every other Thursday in the NPR Music podcast, we've got a plus episode with Anne Powers and Dawoud Tyler Amin where they do deep dives on a single song. They're back this week with Mariah Carey's fantasy.

[B]

Wait, why am I not on that episode?

[C]

I know Mariah is your queen.

[B]

That's my queen.

[C]

It is your queen. Oh, my gosh.

[B]

Well, that's a great song. You know, I'm disappointed that I wasn't asked to participate, but I will be happy to be a listener.

[C]

So NPR Music also where you will find the wild and wondrous world of Lars Gottrich.

[B]

That's me.

[C]

That's you, Lars. I should mention we've got new episodes of All Songs Considered. Every Tuesday, we get into all kinds of stuff on the show, but on this episode, we're sharing our picks for the best new songs out. Now, I want to start with Bonavert. And are you a Bonaver fan? I don't know that you are.

[B]

I liked the first album and the first ep. Yeah, I dropped off after that.

[C]

Well, Bonaver has a new live album coming out. We don't normally do live albums? I don't know. They don't always give us anything new. They don't really offer anything. Unless you're talking about Frampton Comes Alive or Exit Stage Left from Rush.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

This one from Bonaver. I don't know. It really took me by surprise. The album is called volumes one, selections from music concerts 2019-2023. So the first cut that they've released from it is a rarity called Heavenly Father. And this is a song that Bon Iver originally wrote back in 2014 for the Zach Braff film Wish I Was Here. It was on a soundtrack compilation for that film. But the only way you could hear it is if you bought it on, like, physical, like, a CD or vinyl or something. It was never available to stream, so it's very cool to hear the song at all. But this live version, I think is especially cool. Again, it's called Heavenly Father.

[E]

Sam,

[D]

Since I heard the howling wind I didn't need to go in no Bible wind Then you know you give seem heaven sin Just leaving to a collar that. That's the thing I don't know how you house the sin

[E]

but freedom I

[D]

was never sure how much of you I could let in in our freedom Won't you settle down, baby? Your love has been Heavenly Father it's definitely lava but you don't carry other.

[E]

Yeah, but you're free now I turn

[D]

around now when you count the dead

[E]

See you go down

[D]

I know now, honey that I can't pretend Heavenly father has brought you his arm and love is left in it

[E]

Sa.

[D]

Go with Godamn fear

[E]

I am free now

[D]

When I know about it darling I've been standing here Heavenly Father Solid. The office safety in the end.

[B]

You know what that sounds like to me?

[C]

What?

[B]

I don't know the original from the live version, but it sounds like if a Sylvan Esso made a heartland rock song.

[C]

Oh, I totally hear Sylvan Esso in that. I hadn't thought of that until now,

[B]

but, like, if they had covered, like, John Cooger Mellencamp or something.

[C]

Well, I wonder what you thought. Like, if you're just. You like the folky early stuff, like, what you think is, is this just not the way you want to hear Bon Iver? The sort of heavy synths and processed sounds.

[B]

Well, so my impression is that this has kind of, like, been his jam for a long time. Kind of like more synths and stuff.

[C]

Yeah, for sure.

[B]

Yeah. And so is the recorded version like this?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, this is pretty true to the original version, I think this live version gets a little bigger. It's more euphoric. It has a bit more of a punch to it. It's kind of raw in a way. I don't know if you hear that, but I don't know. It kind of cuts to the bone in a way that the recorded studio version doesn't.

[B]

Well, that's why I kind of made the heartland rock comparison, because it's, like, super earnest. But in this case, it's over synths and electronics and kind of like a weird little sample that's been looped.

[C]

Well, so this live album from Bonaver is. It's part of a new series that the band is doing called Volumes. And this is just the first volume, Volumes One. And the plan is to put out a bunch of, like, live recordings, previously unreleased tracks, demos, other things from the. The vaults, the archives, the Bonaver archives. This first collection, volumes one, selections from music concerts 2019-2023. It is out April 3rd. Where do you want to go from there?

[B]

I think we stay in the Midwest.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So we started with Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I think we're going to go to Chicago.

[C]

Bonaver going to Chicago. All right.

[B]

With the first album in 30 years by a truly cult band, and I don't use that term lightly, called Sold American. Are you familiar with this band at all?

[C]

So it's Sold. S O U L E D. Right. Sold. So I know it only because Jeff Tweedy is a fan. Jeff Tweedy, also of Wilco, also from Chicago.

[B]

Right.

[C]

So it makes sense that he would have heard this band. But I think, in fact, you know how Pitchfork does that series? A song I Wish I'd written.

[B]

Sure.

[C]

He picked one of the songs from the band Sold America.

[B]

That's right.

[C]

That he wished he had written. So that's how I know them, but I haven't spent any time with them.

[E]

No.

[B]

They're the kind of band where they unintentionally created alternative country, which is interesting

[C]

because Jeff Tweedy is often credited with creating Old Country. Later.

[B]

Later, like, literally just a few years after with Uncle Tupelo.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So Sold American, they stopped and they kind of, like, would pop up every now and again. But they've always been kind of a mysterious duo, or they started out as a quartet, now it's a duo. And. Yeah, their first record in 30 years. It's called Sanctions. And this is a beautiful song called Freeing Wheels.

[E]

Free and Wheels across the Tracks. Lightin Applied to race

[D]

there's nothing romantic

[C]

Waking up too fast

[E]

Got a good.

[C]

Free on wheels they don't cost much

[E]

of that Beer requires hunger taste

[C]

there's

[D]

nothing nobody can take away from the

[E]

fact Got a guitar out of the case. Got a guitar out of the case. Got the guitar out of the cave.

[C]

I really heard Neil Young in this.

[B]

Oh, sure.

[C]

Something right out of after the Gold Rush or comes a time something like that really reminded me of that.

[B]

This is. I think this is probably one of their more accessible songs. And even so, the way that the guitars are triple, even quadruple tracked and everything is a little out of phase. Everything seems all off.

[C]

Like, it makes it seem a little ramshackle, a little messy.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

There's no metronome. There's like a strange sense of time. And that's kind of how their music has always existed. It's music that makes you want to or need to slow down.

[C]

Well, it's reconsidering the idea of what it means to be free and wild, which that's what I love about it, is that being free and wild doesn't have to be chaos. It can be quiet and simple and restrained. Something as simple as taking a guitar out of its case to play some music is an act of defiance or living free and wild.

[B]

I think you just summed up the entirety of Sold American.

[C]

Well, it's working for me. I really like this a lot. And, yeah, I hadn't spent any time with them at all, but I read that they've been promising this album for quite a long time. Like, I think they. In the mid-90s, they were saying, like, it's almost done, it's almost ready, and now we're getting ready.

[B]

It 30 years later. It's absolutely stunning. It's called sanctions, and it comes out in April. I'm so ecstatic.

[A]

This message comes from Angie. If you're tackling a home project, check out angie.com. from roofing to remodels and everything in between, Angie connects you with skilled pros who do such a good job, you might trust them to do other things, like pull out your tooth or be your kid's godfather. Don't actually ask them to do those things, just let them get the job done. Well, Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust, find a pro for your [e-mail] that's a n g I dot com. This message comes from LinkedIn ads. Ever invest in something that seemed incredible at first but didn't live up to the hype? For marketers, that's impressions. When ads don't create revenue. That's a tough conversation with the CFO. Instead, invest in results your CFO will love. LinkedIn Ads generates the highest roas of all major ad networks. So advertise on LinkedIn. Spend $250 and get a $250 credit. Just go to LinkedIn.com NPRpod Terms and Conditions apply. This message comes from Redfin. You're listening to a podcast called which means you're probably multitasking, maybe even scrolling home listings on Redfin, saving homes without expecting to get them. But Redfin isn't just built for endless browsing. It's built to help you find and own a home with agents who close twice as many deals. When you find the one, you've got a real shot at getting it. Get started at redfin.com, own the dream

[C]

Lars I was listening back to that Songs to Calm the Nerves episode that you and I did.

[B]

Oh yeah, yeah.

[C]

And you said on that episode how you sometimes struggle with pushing away the darkness, finding hope, pushing away the negative thoughts, and that that's something that you struggle with.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I've been accused of being Pollyannic, overly, overly optimistic. It's probably true. I don't feel like I suffer from blind idealism or anything like that, But I think it's just understanding that the good and the bad can exist at the same time, and that all the bad that we see in the world doesn't negate or erase all the good. And I think the trick to being happy is accepting that and understanding that and finding some balance between the two. And I bring this up because there's this really great song out now from Francis of Delirium. Francis of Delirium is the name of the artist that really, I think, lays this all out so beautifully. We can talk more about it after we hear it, but the song is called, appropriately It's a Beautiful Life.

[E]

Bunny's in the kitchen with the scissors Cut her hair off Turning up the apartment just a little through the drive so damn close to pushing daisies Man, I think this heat makes me crazy all alone stuck in my room Scrolling through hell inhaling do my loneliness is rife It's a beautiful. Love is on a park bench at the end of the fight Packing up the things no kiss good night Piano playing Full of glass coming through the window Hours unpass Just had to let the light out Undo the buttons, unzip the dress and perm an impulse incomprehensible death I'm burned out in tire It's a beautiful life. Up on the wire tape broke over fire I'm burned out in my tire. You're freaking out. Cause I'm freaking out. Kissing desire Unlock like a flower Give it another try. Beautiful life.

[C]

Come on, man. I bet you love that.

[B]

Oh, yeah. That was giving me, like, swearing and like, super chunk.

[C]

Okay. Yeah.

[B]

Early Charlie Bliss. Big, fuzzy, chunky, riffy indie rock. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. And so to what I was saying earlier about sort of finding hope in times of despair. This song rocks so hard. I think it's the kind of thing that gets your fists up in the air, gets you moving. It's super infectious, but there's definitely a thread of melancholy that runs through all of it.

[B]

Rocking and crying at the same time. Absolutely. The Robin Hilton and Lars Gottrich jam.

[C]

There's even a little bit of rage in it too. In that bridge, you know, in the bridge she sings up on a wire Tightrope over fire I'm burned out and I'm tired. And the guitars are starting to gear up a little bit more. There's another subtle thing that happens in it that I think is really cool. It's easy to miss because it just sounds like a little vocal flourish just for the sake of making the music part a little more interesting. The ha ha. The ha ha vocals that are the kind of accents that come in. I see that as laughter.

[B]

Oh, yeah. But at the same time, we get a little bit at the top of the song. But then there's this kind of angelic choir situation. So the first time they do haha, that's not there. But then the time the hahas and the choir come in, right, it's like, okay, there's some dense commentary happening in this song.

[C]

Yeah, for sure. And I only clocked at this, listening to it now. Sitting here with you, I heard I

[B]

bring out the best in you, Robin.

[C]

You really do. You really elevate me, elevate the show. Everything you do just makes everything better. Lars. So Francis of Delirium is an artist based out of Luxembourg. Jayna Barich, this song, it's a Beautiful Life from her second full length album called Run Run. Pure Beauty. And it is out at the end of May, on May 29. You said that everything that we are playing is kind of polar opposites, but I don't know if that's true.

[B]

We're getting maybe a little bit of a theme. Maybe not sonically, but at least thematically, where everybody's trying. Everybody's just trying their best, it sounds like, to deal with whatever's happening in their world. I Don't have, like, a lyric sheet for this next song, but the song is called Somewhere Good. So maybe they're in a similar headspace. But the group is called Tara Clerk and Trio. They're based out of Bristol. They've been around for a minute, but I finally got to see them perform last year at probably one of my favorite venues in D.C. that I've mentioned here many times, called Rhizome Tarek. Clerk and Trio's music, it's just woozy and wobbly in the right way, in the way that you sort of have to trust the process. I saw that when they performed, where it's like, I don't know where this music is going, but I'm glad that I'm here with them on this journey. And then once they finally get to where the song is going to be, I'm like, ah, yes. I feel held I feel seen I feel held. So again, this song is Somewhere Good by Tara Clark and Trio.

[E]

Things your busy street I'm moving Fear, you're calling me. And fear I'm fallen. Your busy street I'm living Fear where will we go, Sam. Ram. Sam. I'm falling your busy street I'm living Fear, you're calling me Open window where we go. Ram. Ram. Sam.

[D]

Ra.

[C]

So when you saw them live, did they do this song, do you recall?

[B]

No, this would have been. I think this might have been too early for them to be playing this material.

[C]

Yeah, I asked because it has that repeated guitar line, and I would love to know if they were playing that live or if they just had it looping on a computer or something.

[B]

I mean, when I saw them, their pedal software was pretty minimal, which I thought was cool, that they kind of kept everything pretty contained. But it's extremely hypnotic, and it kind of like keeps you off your axis a little bit. And there's always something that's kind of keeping you rooted at the same time. I love that feeling.

[C]

I mean, that's kind of what that repeated guitar line does, and I'm a sucker for that, too. Like, I love a line that is repeated over and over again throughout the entire duration of a song. And this one's long. It's like six minutes. But you never grow tired of it. You kind of lose track of it at some points, and then you'll kind of tune back into it, and then it'll kind of go away again. And everything else that happens built around that repeated line. So many unexpected things in this song, too. Like that little clarinet that comes in is so lovely. And absolutely the last instrument I would have predicted that they would bring in at that moment.

[B]

Tara Clarke and Trio is on like a rare US Tour, like right now on their way to the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville. So if you're on the East Coast, I would highly recommend seeing this band. It really takes you out of your orbit in the best possible way.

[E]

Way.

[C]

So that song is called Somewhere Good and the album is called Somewhere Good.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. And it is out June 5th.

[A]

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[C]

So this last one that I want to play, Lars, is from an absolute legend. Yeah, a legend. Tori Amos.

[B]

This is another one where I absolutely respect the longevity of her music, the importance of her music and her person. I like watching live videos of her. I think she's such a fascinating performer. But the music has never clicked with me for reasons I don't really know why.

[C]

Well, what'd you start with? Was Little Earthquakes like her geometry?

[B]

I think so, Yeah, I think.

[C]

And that didn't do it.

[B]

I think I had read an essay that Ann Powers had written about it. I was like, okay, let's go with this in mind. And I listened to it and I liked it, but it didn't stay with me for whatever reason.

[C]

I can't tell you how mind blowing that album was when it came out. Nothing sounded like when she dropped that in 1992.

[B]

Sure.

[C]

I'm tempted to say that it, like,

[B]

shook the world

[C]

because I know people were shook.

[B]

You're all with the accidental puns today. Shook the world. Little earthquakes, Little earthquakes I just don't

[C]

want to do that. But I think that she completely reinvented piano pop, rejuvenated it and breathed all this new life into it. She brought this sort of power to it in a way. I don't know. I think without Tori Amos, I'm not sure you get Fiona Apple. I'm not sure you get Regina Spector.

[B]

Definitely. Absolutely.

[C]

And Tori Amos is. She hasn't slowed down at all in all the years since she put out Little Earthquakes. She is about to release her 18th album. 18th album. It's called In Times of Dragons. And I guess in keeping with my recurring theme of hope and optimism, the song that I want to play from the album is called Stronger Together.

[E]

All about it We've been trapped in darkness but you know all about it I said pur Just a stone of a story but stronger together. We found we could tackle it and we could talk about it and we could cry about it and we could and we did and we could together and we could and we did now that you're a woman now that you. And we could and we did and we all together and you do understand it's okay you're safe here, Dr. Dear. Yes, we could and we did together I understand it was tough now we're safe together Stronger together Stronger together Stronger together Stronger together and we could and we did and we come together it's okay we can face all this together and we are stronger, stronger together it's so kind Live your truth that's how it is together Stronger together Stronger together it's okay we can face all of this is together.

[C]

I just thought this was so beautiful. I mean, I don't know. I'm a piano player, so I do love piano pop, and maybe I'm just a sucker for that.

[B]

I think the thing that I've realized in recent years is that I just don't like piano pop or piano rock.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

I think a lot of it stems from a long abiding hatred of Billy Joel.

[C]

Oh, man, let's not get ugly here, man. Don't get me started about Billy Joel, man. I love Billy Joel. I'm gonna make you a Billy Joel mixtape. Oh, no, I am, and it's not Piano Man. I promise you that is. I'll find some stuff that you'll like from. Well, you. I don't know. Maybe you won't, but I don't.

[B]

I think it's because I'm such a guitar guy. I love a guitar. I like synths. But piano, I don't know when it comes. If I'm listening to piano, it's usually in a jazz or classical context. Unless pop and rock.

[C]

This song from Tori, it's not like a stride piano. It's not super dominant. It's kind of all in the bass notes that she's playing.

[B]

It's very atmospheric as well.

[C]

Yeah, very atmospheric. So this is a concept album from Tori Amos again, it is called In Times of Dragons is out on May 1st. Lars, I know this last one you want to play. I'm just going to say right now, it's not my jam. And you and I, we've talked about this a lot.

[B]

We have.

[C]

But I do think that there are some as sonically polar opposite as it is from the Tori Amos. Yes, I think there's actually. They're both sort of kind of getting at some of the same themes.

[B]

I think so. So this is the first record in 10 years by the metal band Neurosis. It's a record called An Undying Love for a Burning World and it just. It dropped on Friday completely.

[C]

Total surprise.

[B]

Total surprise. There are even some people I saw in the metal world who are like, how did they keep this under lock and key the way that they did?

[C]

Oh, maybe it's because no one's paying any attention.

[B]

I don't think so. This is a band, Robin, that's been around since the late 80s and has put out several extremely influential records in the metal world. And they even kind of influenced a whole style of metal that took from doom metal, from sledge, from industrial, from ambient music. But it was all kind of done with a hardcore punk attitude. The band went on a long hiatus because it was in 2022 that one of the co founders, Scott Kelly, had been let go from the band for domestic abuse against his family. Just absolutely, like, tragic for everyone. The band had no idea. None of the close friends had any idea. He kept it very close and systematic and it broke everyone's hearts. I hated writing that news piece for NPR because this is a band that has meant a lot to so many people. And when the news of this album dropped, the first question was like, is there another member? Or they just doing they replace him? And to be honest, they couldn't have picked a better person to kind of step into that second guitar role with Aaron Turner from the metal band Isis and Sumac. And so so here's this album that is very much about a band that has gone through the fire. I've only had this record for a few days and I've been texting with some friends. I'm like, I don't think this record's just good. I think it might actually be great. There are some songs in this that are kind of top tier neurosis for me now. And I'm so glad this band is back because Neurosis has always been about catharsis and has never shied away from pain and struggle. But they understand that the underlying thing that keeps us moving and the thing that you always talk about, Robin, is hope. So I don't think I named the song. It's called Untethered and it's by the band Neurosis.

[C]

All right, thanks as always, lars.

[B]

Thanks, robin.

[C]

It's all songs considered. I'm robin hilton. You're listening to npr music.

[E]

Sam. It is far too late to grow one chicken ill we all just go, we see no way to.

[D]

We stagger on as the hive has lost its mind.

[E]

I fall low, don't say to look behind.

[D]

Seeking it on a shadow

[E]

sky.

[D]

These winds can budge you broken JO

[E]

Far as the eye can see, rats on the wire.

[D]

Will you be content to.

[F]

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[A]

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