Included with the live concert film Welcome To Sunny Florida, Scarlet’s Hidden Treasures is a 6 track collection of songs which, I assume, would have been B-Sides. By this point Tori had given up on physical singles and her prolific B-sides and covers catalogue was coming to an end. So, to call these tracks B-Sides is not entirely accurate but it does ring true for the most part in that they are not unlike the songs on Scarlet’s Walk. However, though sonically similar I am glad these tracks were cut from the original album, if they ever were supposed to be included, as they would have been a poor fit.That is not a reflection on their quality however for they are, mostly, very good.
The first two tracks are classic Tori. Backed by just the piano, and subtle splashes of guitar on Ruby Through The Looking Glass, she delivers some of her most hard-hitting work of this era. Ruby Through The Looking Glass deals with the topic of miscarriage that haunted her From The Chorigirl Hotel album and it almost reaches the same peaks too. Seaside is more abstract but no less harrowing, I get the impression the song is about civilians killed in a terrorist or military attack but it’s open to interpretation. It’s a haunting but beautiful piece of music and also wonderfully simple. It may just be the best track of the Scarlet-era.
Things take a more playful turn on the next track with the Bond-esque Bug a Martini offering welcome respite from the darkness of the preceding songs. As a huge Bond fan I’m a sucker for anything that evokes Sixties spy movies and Bug A Martini, with its Rhodes and slippery bass, is nothing if not evocative. Despite my love for its sound I have to admit it is a pretty lightweight, almost throwaway, track. It’s a million miles from being bad but it is typical B-Side material.
Apollo’s Frock is a very frustrating track. Its intro is unequivocally brilliant – it would be at home on either Under The Pink or Boys For Pele – but after that it simply languishes in its own beautiful sound. I can’t call it bad because its melodies are just too nice but it doesn’t go anywhere or build up to anything and that, coupled with its considerable length, makes for a wearisome listen. All the more disappointing because that intro is so sublime.
Thankfully penultimate track Tombigbee sees Tori and band delivering a bouncing, percussive track that really injects this EP with some energy. Lyrically its interesting too, and probably the closest she gets to the topics of Scarlet’s Walk itself, but the biggest draw is the music. Its central melodies and riffs are catchy and the tonal changes keep things fresh.
Indian Summer once again strips away all the sounds except for Tori and her piano and, like Apollo’s Frock, it is another long track. I’m glad this EP has more solo piano tracks, because that was the one thing that Scarlet’s Walk lacked, but this is another that feels lacklustre – especially after the effervescent Tombigbee. Just like Apollo’s Frock it is far from bad but it lacks dynamism and, because of its length, becomes tiresome.
It’s a shame that this otherwise strong EP has to end on such a bum note but even with these missteps it is still worth a listen. With the exception of Seaside nothing on here is essential Amos but despite that it may still be a better collection than its parent album. I’m not saying the songs here are better but they are on a similar level and the brevity of the EP format removes the big failing of Scarlet’s Walk: its unnecessary length. Whether as an addendum to the full album or as a condensed summation (there’s not much, sonically speaking, that Scarlet’s Hidden Treasures doesn’t cover) this is a pleasant and occasionally brilliant string of songs. I’d recommend you give it a listen but it is probably only the fans that will have to have this in their collection.
Pon De Way Way Way 