Chartattack.com posted a review of Scarlet's Walk on October 29, 2002. Thanks to Woj for making me aware of it.

TORI AMOS Scarlet's Walk (Epic/Sony)

Yes, Tori Amos is a certifiable kook, but damn if she doesn't make some beautiful music. The piano songstress's latest offering, Scarlet's Walk, is nominally a concept album about her rediscovering America post 9/11. But stripped of that artifice, this is Amos' most immediate work in years, a more introspective, melodic affair than her last few releases. It's an ambitious and expansive song cycle (perhaps a little too much so at a whopping 18 tracks) inspired by Amos' road trip through America last year. First single "A Sorta Fairytale" is the best Amos song in ages, harkening back to the melodic pop of her seminal Under the Pink album. But it's "I Can't See New York" that is the grand statement of this album; it starts off as a stark ballad and then takes off into a deep, dark epic. Understated production throughout puts the focus on Amos' velvet piano and rippling harmonies, and longtime collaborator Matt Chamberlain's gentle percussion adds just the right amount of colour to the lush tapestry of sound. This is late-night music, all melancholy and meditative. While one need not buy into the concept part of this album, it does say something about Amos' artistic vision.

Tabassum Siddiqui

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