#68: Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel... (2012)

Fiona Apple became one of my all time favorites the moment I heard her début album, "Tidal". A few months back I bought this album and filed it away. I wanted to save it for when I was sitting on a beach, and now that I'm finally listening to it I can say that she has not disappointed and it's well worth the wait.

Daredevil
"Don't let me ruin me - I may need a chaperone" I love Fiona Apple. This isn't music one would "normally" listen to but it's just so incredibly good. From the quick hits of the piano to the quick march of the drums there's no weak spots on the track, it's just awesome.





Valentine

The chord voicings are so specific to Apple, I need to figure out how to mimic them. They're so thick, so dissonant, but so beautiful. The lyrics are dark, yet somehow uplifting. Her life is over and now she's going to live vicariously through her valentine. Such incredibly words and the music isn't far behind. The chorus is so catchy and poppy, but it never loses it's cooky feeling.

Left Alone
She's still pushing boundaries. The drum solo that leads the song in is followed by a very odd piano. I wondered what she could possibly do melodically with it, and yet she finds just the perfect line. Not only does she pull out of the verse but she melds it to an even cooler chorus. Not enough has been said about her voice, Apple has one of the greatest voices I've ever heard. She expresses emotion in such a way that it pierces right through me and moves me from the inside.

All in all, she's a treasure. She's not for everyone, but dammit she's absolutely stellar. Lyrically she's much deeper than most other songwriters and it's only amplified by her well crafted music. At it's root it's another Fiona Apple album that shows considerable growth and it surely is something special.

Tomorrow's album: The Beatles' With the Beatles.

#40: Fiona Apple - Tidal (1996)

It's vacation time, it's time to bring out all of my favorite artists while I stare at the beach. Fiona Apple is an American treasure, while some may see her as 'too intense' I find her to be riveting. Musically she puts out some of the best made albums in my generation. The older I get the more I don't want to listen to a "technically" well crafted song - I want something honest, real, and complex.

Sullen Girl
This not radio material and maybe that's why I enjoy it so much. Apple was raped at a very young age and while I may never understand how it can affect someone, she's honest about it - which can't be easy. The lyrics are deep and cryptic, if you didn't know about her past you may not know what the song is about, or may even attach a different meaning to it. The strings, the tasteful drums, the swells, and the lyrics make this one of the many bright spots on the album.

Shadow Boxer

"I'm a shadow boxer baby, I wanna be ready for what you do. I've been swinging around at nothing I don't know when you're gonna make your move." The guitars on this track add such a different vibe than the slow, thoughtful licks from the piano. The drums and bass create the sense of a dark alley fight, while the strings add warmth to the best track on the album. If you're not familiar with this track or Fiona Apple, this is where you need to start.

Carrion
A quick snare march creates a train that's doing it's best to sneak up on you, the bass stays with this quick movement which is further accented by the guitar that's quite catchy and slightly funky. However, the dissonant strings really define the mood. Apple proves soft, almost whispering vocals - until the end where it bursts out of it's own chest. Instrumentally the chorus is much louder, but Apple really doesn't react to it - she keeps her same volume and tone letting the music carry the emotion instead of forcing it.

All in all, it rocked my socks off when I first heard it. I'm used to piano music sounding like Billy Joel, Elton John, and Ben Folds. This is nothing like those artists and it proves that Apple is a true talent. It's piano driven but the wheels are a rich/full bass, simple drums, swelling sometimes dissonant strings, and bells. It's not my favorite of her albums but it's awfully good. Her music is not necessarily radio friendly, but that doesn't mean it's not solid. Those that base how good an artist is by the amount of #1 singles they have are missing out on a lot of great artists and Apple just may top that list.

Tomorrow's album: Miles Davis' Kind of Blue.