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The collection draws heavily from 1999 to 2001, when Torrini made the leap from the Icelandic music scene to the wider world. In retrospect, it’s clear that the move unnerved Torrini, and led to artistic compromises. While the idiosyncrasies of her songwriting are present – just listen to the way the wonderful Weird Friendless Kid lurches from nursery rhyme rhythms to a final growlingly ecstatic coda – they are often smothered by the glossy trip hop production so in vogue at the time.
As a result many of the songs now sound calculated and dated. Dead Things is beautiful and haunting in many ways, but its spooked synths and gently crackling beats could have been lifted directly from Björk’s Post album. Songs like this led to accusations that she was imitating her fellow Icelander, a charge that continues to be unfairly levelled. Although Björk is a massive step up from Morcheeba, which is what the loungy atmospherics and blandly upbeat chorus of Easy most resemble.
There are gems worth rescuing here. Tuna Fish is also cloyingly produced, but redeemed by the hesitant, lingering melody and Torrini’s crystalline vocal. And her slow-burning take on Jacques Brel’s If You Go Away is ravishing, capturing the desolate fear and desperate hope at the song’s heart. As for the remixes, while it’s questionable if even the most ardent Torrini fans need six versions of To Be Free, some add new momentum, such as Tore Johannson’s glitchy drum’n’bass take.
Torrini followed this period of uncharacteristic uncertainty with Fisherman’s Woman, its stark acoustics an obvious reaction against the overproduction of these songs, paving the way in turn for the quiet triumph of Me and Armini. So while Rarities is an intriguing reminder of where this great songwriter has come from, the truly fascinating question is what she will do next.
--Jaime GillFind more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
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Customer Reviews
All of the songs contained on this album are B-Sides taken from the CD singles released to promote 'Love in the Time of Science' (between 1999-2001). The tracks may well be considered rarities in America but they have all been made available over here previously and continue to be available as Downloads.
So, if you have been a fan for a while and own the singles from the first album, then give this a miss, as you probably own most if not all of the tracks here. And if you are a fan of her later releases (particularly Fisherman's Woman), the final two tracks on the album might not appeal. For everyone else though, definitely worth a listen.
It opens with four B-sides, odds and ends that weren't on any of her previous albums. "Weird Friendless Kid" is a gentle ode to the people of this world who don't fit in, while "If You Go Away" is a poignant, crystalline love song. "Flirt" is Torrini at her most offbeat ("Banging my drums with your bones as you scream and shout!"), and "7-Up Days" is a shivery, catchy little tune.
The remixes start off strong with an acoustic version of "Tuna Fish," which loses none of its eerie charm when played on stripped-down guitar and drums. "Baby Blue (Rae & Christian Remix)" is even better than the original, using a vaguely funereal tone that gives the strange song added solemnity. The ones that follow aren't as good -- they tend to be a bit too dense and dancey, especially the "Unemployed in Summertime" remix.
Those who enjoyed the fascinatingly offbeat style of "Love in the Time of Science" will probably enjoy "Rarities." It's a bit less acoustic in the B-sides, and almost dizzyingly electronic in the dancey remixes. But Torrini's offbeat lyrics and quirky charm are present everywhere.
The songwriting is strong as ever, ranging from simple and sweetly memorable ("If you go away/On this summer day/Then you might as well/Take the sun away") to gloriously weird ("Before I touch you I would like to think/Of black hair and butterfly milk/Ingredients of your gift"). Most pop singers couldn't really pull off a song that talks about drumming with bones without sounding poseurish, but Torrini does it.
And Torrini proves again that she doesn't need electronica to sound eerie -- muted drums and an acoustic guitar can be just as good as the textured soundscape of the "Baby Blue" remix. Her pretty, soft, vaguely voice can sound playful or poignant, and her Icelandic accent gives the vocals a slightly exotic edge.
Emiliana Torrini's "Rarities" is a solid collection of remixes and B-sides, ranging from acoustic ballads to trip-hop tapesties. Definitely something worth checking out.
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