Prolific singer-songwriter Tori Amos recently surprised fans by releasing “Cloud Riders,” the first taste of her upcoming album, Native Invader. The introspective new single ponders a turbulent relationship and decrees her unbendable desire to survive its storminess.

Amos previously revealed the future-facing theme of the new album by saying:

“The songs on Native Invader are being pushed by the Muses to find different ways of facing unforeseen challenges and in some cases dangerous conflicts. The record looks to Nature and how, through resilience, she heals herself. The songs also wrestle with the question: what is our part in the destruction of our land, as well as ourselves, and in our relationships with each other?”

The lyrics of “Cloud Riders” seem to fulfill Amos’ cryptic promise of Native Invader’s subject matter as she sings:

“Standing on the edge of a cliff/ Didn’t think it would come to this/ A dead calm before the storm/ Not a sound from their engines/ From the other side, saw a shooting star at 4:22 AM.”

And in the line: “Underneath the stars above/I said, ‘No, stop, I am not giving up on us/And I am not going anywhere soon,” Amos sounds more than ready to stand her ground.

Upon initial listening, the lyrics and melody of “Riders” conspicuously harken back to Amos’ Scarlet’s Walk era. In fact, it would easily sound at home on the 2002 set, comfortably nestled between “A Sorta Fairytale” and “Strange.” [Read Full Review]