Tidal

How have I never heard this big voice before? Songs longer than I’m used to but great lyrics and powerful songs. Hard to put in a genre

Will listen again. Nothing special.

Alt rock album containing several piano ballads with a mature, sexy voice likely inspired by Alanis Morissette. Some praise the album for her songwriting, and they are at times poetic, but I find them to be shallow and heavily carried by the vocals and accompanying instruments. Production is excellent here, but that's nothing spectacular of the era. I like the first four songs, but after that it's mixed.

The first four songs of this album are some of the strongest on any album... but then it quickly loses its way. It becomes meandering and boring very quickly, and it only finds a minor twinkle in The Child is Gone and Carrion.

Raw thoughtful lyrics delivered by strong vocals backed by classic piano. Edgy at times with hints of Alanis Morissette. Sleep to dream, shadowboxer, slow like honey

I liked the whole album, but not enough to add all of the songs to my library. My favourite songs are Criminal and Sleep To Dream. 3/5 stars.

good

Vocally Apple is wonderful. The songs are strong and it doesn’t take much instrumentally to assist her as she sings. Delightfully surprised with this. 6.9/10

A much better kd lang and better on second listen

Oddly enough it was very vibey. In addition to the backing music, the singer's voice is quite nice at times, but sometimes it felt like there was a discontinuity between the band and the singer; they felt like their styles had a mismatch as the band was playing orchestra-like music while she was singing in a punk fashion. Favorite track: Carrion

Enjoyed more than I thought I would

Catchy enough. Like a merge of Florence and the Machine and Alanis Morrissette. Would rate it way better than PJ Harvey.

heavy and personal

She's amazing ... almost too good but I didn't get into it.

It was good, but not really my jam

Not for me

Totally mediocre

I like her voice and her lyrics.

Great album. Not exactly my style

Most of it sounded like a soundtrack to some twisted drama. The music didn’t suck, but hard for me to imagine a setting where I would want to listen to it.

okay pretty good. felt a lil bland at points

No la conocía pero tampoco me gustó demasiado lo que escuché.

This is an alright album. The songs didn’t really stick with me after listening to them and I doubt I’ll be humming them any time soon. But it’s still an interesting listen. Each song does something that allows it to feel different when compared to the other songs also on here

This album is Fiona Apple's most regarded album and it definitely has some winners on it. Shadowboxer and Criminal are good. I'm a sucker for female vocalists with deep voices though. What's keeping it as a three star? I think she's missing a few things on this album. Mostly fun. Janis Joplin sang serious emotional songs, but could have some humor too. Without humor or collaborations with other artists, this is a moody and lonely album.

Solid debut. Great production. Songs are a bit heavy at times which can make the album a bit of a grueling experience to sit through but it's a pretty beautiful album.

Powerful songwriting. Commanding voice.

Lovely moments and all the pianos. Again, probably won't go back.

When one of my music professors didn't like a piece of music, but it was competent, he would say it was "valid." Tidal is valid. All snark aside, Tidal is a really interesting album for a variety of reasons. There aren't really a lot of strong melodies, really, but that's okay. In their place, Fiona Apple has substituted a mixture of blues and modern pop phrasing, which reminds me of Van Morrison's singing on Astral Weeks, where he basically just riffed over vamps. Another thing that's immediately apparent is the breathtaking variety of musical textures and the consummate taste of the arrangements. The instrumentation is mostly acoustic, but when a synthesizer or other digital instrument shows up, it never sucks balls, and it's always integrated seamlessly. I luxuriated in Tidal's sound world. Yet another strong point of Tidal is that it's very original, but not at the cost of being accessible. By this, I mean that the way the songs are structured don't follow well worn patterns the way most modern pop does, thank God. Honestly, there is very little to carp about here (mind you, I didn't really pay attention to the lyrics, so I can't comment on them nor do I especially care). Maybe one thing--there are no songs here that wedge themselves into your consciousness. Tidal is an album that you very much experience in the moment. After it's over, all that lingers is the sense that you've been given a generous tour of a talented artist's musical imagination, and that your time wasn't wasted. Finally, I have to be honest and say that I appreciated this album more on an intellectual level than an emotional one. I admire it more than I love it. Update: I started writing this review 2/3 of the way through the album. Usually, artists frontload their most commercial songs and reserve their more esoteric artistic statements for the last few songs. Perversely, on Tidal, Fiona Apple did the opposite. As the album becomes more commercial, with more predictable and conventional song structures, it becomes correspondingly less interesting, so I'm downgrading it by half a star.

I liked this one. Lot of edge and attitude 

Quite good

not groundbreaking but pleasant in the way pristinely polished gravel is

It's fine but hopefully someday in the future when this list is refreshed, this album is replaced by Fetch The Bolt Cutters which is a far superior album.

J’aime bien sa proposition, les 4-5 premières chanson du CD sont bien, mais trop de chansons semblables plus la playlist avance. Meilleure chanson pour faire l’amour: Shadowboxer.

A wonderful debut album. The highs are very high ("Criminal"; "Never is a Promise"; "Carrion"), but the lows can really drag ("Shadowboxer": "Slow Like Honey"). Overall, there are just too many songs that feel like they fade back into the album without managing to contribute to an overall picture of the album. In short, the sum is NOT greater than its parts, and might well be worse than some of its best parts. I would say something between a 3-4, but closer to a 3 than a 4.

Achei médio

Enjoyable Joni Mitchell-esque music.

liked the first song, album overall is the complete opposite of an album you should listen to before you die. 2.7

I listened to this and then decided to listen to her release from last year that all the critics were raving about, and that spotify keeps sending my songs from. I think her recent release is more experiemental while this is more melodic. Nice enough songs. They grow on you. With a few more listens I could become a fan.

3/5

Buen disco de pop femenino con voz profunda y un tanto melancólica. Al principio prometía un poco más. Fue cayendo un poco en la rutina. Gusta, pero falta algún tema más que lo haga destacar

I know the more recent work of Fiona Apple and listen to this old version of her work is very interesting. This is not any piece of art in my opinion, but it includes many good songs and worth the almost 1 hour of her voice. I prefer the most recent albums from her, but this was a good experience

I enjoyed this. Very much of its time.

C'est très relax mais on sent le côté revendicateur de l'artiste dans certaines pièces. Enfin une voix de femme pas trop gossante! Bon album pour relaxer, un petit feu ou un bain genre.. J'aime bien l'instrumental. Y'a quelque chose dans l'ambiance qui me fait penser à Norah Jones. J'ai pas haï Sleep to dream.

Like a flopped Italian, this album is kicking goals. Nothing too over the top, just decent talent

Not a bad album, but it doesn’t leave me with much of a memorable musical personality.

C’est bon et la chanteuse au e belle voix. Ressemble a bcp d’album de meme genre. 3.25

Très belle voix. Plaisant à l'écoute. Mon hit: Sleep to dream. Un peu plus de rythme, j'aime ça

I guess it's an okay mid-90's album. Didn't want to just give it two stars, because I didn't finish it, but I could leave it playing in the background... without paying much attention.

Alternative rock album, had some good songs but not super my taste

Ok. Bleibt aber kaum etwas hängen

Her voice is good at times, sounds flat at others. Good melodies and lyrics.

Really nice voice, definitely listen to her again. The First Taste and Never Is a Promise were the best.

Nunca escutei billie eilish, mas é assim que soa na minha cabeça

Can definitely see where artists like Taylor Swift and Haim get a lot of inspiration from. I thought the second half of the album was way better than the first.

Cool.

Enjoyed this, wouldn't have been anything I'd have searched out for but enjoyed it. don't know if I'd seek more out from this artist but still enjoyed it.

Mediocre

Pretty cool

Moody AF

Fiona Apple is possibly the most overrated indie artist. Good album though

Is there a word for something that is both catchy and offbeat? Its funky but i like it. Definitely unique and I think it works.

I always thought she was cool but never really listened to her. Although the last third of it lagged the rest of it was awesome.

I enjoyed this album. Not sure if this should be on this list though.

Ain't that something. I'm actually surprised how popular this was considering how non-pop it is. Good!

Can't decide. Some of this is standard mid-90s interchangeable Morrisette/Liz Phair/AFP/Tori Amos landfill. Lots of it is much more interesting, sleazy jazz style stuff. Enjoyed, but wouldn't listen again.

Bang average, nothing more, nothing less

Synkän viikon piristävä päätös :)

Good album.

Man I like Fiona Apple. Not as good as bolt cutters. But hey, what is?

It’s got criminal which is awesome

Definitely more assessable than her other stuff

3

Twee keer een poging gedaan ok hier doorheen te komen. Begon echt rete saai. Daarna kwam 1 leuk liedje. Toen weer heel saai. Zeikerige stem. DNF

Девчачьи страдания. И тембр голоса грубоват для меня

How do you like them apples? Not very much as it happens. Largely forgettable and bland.

Too slow and mopey.

Album que hay que escuchar la letra muy detenidamente, porque si no te duermes. La verdad es que no soy muy fan de este tipo de musica como de Lana del Rey type, pero pues no me disgusto del todo solo no es para nada mi tipo. Investigue el contexto y todo eso y me gusto, se ve que fue kinda un parteaguas en la industria. Pero si, no me gusto mucho solo destaca por su composicion y quizas un poco por la instrumental, nada de produccion del otro mundo ni atrevimientos siento yo. Para mi gusto 5/10

Blah

⭐⭐ Aldrig lyssnat på det här albumet, förväntade mig att det skulle vara bra efter vad jag hört om det men det klickar inte hos mig. Det är inte dåligt men tycker det är lite som sticker ut så när jag lyssnar igenom det är det som att jag glömmer bort att det är på. Tycker nog produktionen är ganska bra men låtmaterialet upplever jag för platt, det saknas något som triggar mitt intresse så det blir en 2a. Bäst är Shadowboxer, Criminal

Syns heller ikke dette var helt det store. Noen litt ålreite låter som jeg neppe kommer til å høre på igjen.

Унылый альбом, иногда прикольный, но в целом довольно скучный. Такое банальное поп-пение. Меня такое не особо интересует...

Nope, fuck this. I’m out.

I never much cared for Fiona Apple, and today’s listen was no exception. Glad some people find her music enjoyable, but her erratic voice drives me fucking crazy.

Bit samey

Pretty boring

I know this album is some people’s bible and although I’m religiously tolerant it’s not mine

The second album from Fiona Apple from my first 73 albums on this project, and I much preferred the previous one (Fetch the Bolt Cutters). I found this a bit boring. One of the compilers of the book must be a big fan to include two albums from her.

A vibe…but not my vibe.

matig

I really wished I liked Fiona Apple the way that everyone else does. It seems like there is something that just isn't clicking for me. Nothing is bad but it also isn't something that I'll go back to. It sounds like the musical equivalent of a cool girl wearing a fedora. 5/10

I like sleep to dream Criminal is not bad either. Grew on me. Its okay but nothing I would listen to again.

Well OK, I guess, but nothing amazing. I'm surprised she has 2.4M monthly Spotify streams. Not sure who would like her and why. I don't really think she's contributing to the world's musical richness.

There's never a time where I choose Fiona apple over Alanis..

eh...even as background music not great

Eh

Hoped to give this more but nothing really gripped me until it auto-played a Jeff Buckley song after it ended. : (

Mmh

Je n’ai pas beaucoup accroché avec cet album. Cependant, la voix et la diversité de son expression et de ses gammes est spectaculaire. Bonne musique d’ambiance, presque Jazz sur certains titres (Pale September) Musique lente, inclassable, parfois sonorité rock avant de revenir sur quelque chose de beaucoup plus calme. On a l’impression que la partie instrumentale n’est là que pour valoriser la voix Pref : Carrion et Pale September

Not my cup of tea.

twas okayish

Some good stuff, but patchy.

Another pouty singer who claims to shun everything that she so willingly embraced for fame and fortune. Poor girl must have really struggled to cash every paycheck and sit down for every interview that would keep the money and fame rolling in. All that aside, there wasn't anything about these songs, the production, or her singing that was worth listening to any of her songs all the way through. Yawn.....

Boring.

4/10

Quite crap

boring

typical Fiona apple album (at least to me), breathy, angry songs. It's ok, I will listen to it again but won't put it on myself. A solid 2

Wouldn't have her on my radar otherwise.

90’s Adele

I didn't really care for this album - I guess it's just not a good fit to my taste.

not for me

3 - BAD

Before listening: Okay, I know nothing about Fiona Apple other than the reviews I've read on here and there are RED FLAGS! "Grammy award-winning", "jazzy vibes", MARIMBAS FFS! Is she going to be an American Adele and ruin my bank holiday?! Or is she going to be more like Angel Olsen or Cat Power (this would be fine as I like both). After listening: Strong Chrissie Hynde vibes if she'd been a 2000s solo artist instead of in a new wave band circa 1979. I do like a lot of modern female solo artists...the aforementioned Angel and Cat, Jesca Hoop, Nina Nastasia, Kathryn Joseph, Laura Marling...all slightly different from one another, but what they do have in common is an "otherness" that sets them apart. I didn't hear that from Fiona. She sounded "popular", playing "normie music". I can see why she had a Grammy nomination and Jesca never will. Even so, at least she's not Adele, so not all bad.

The dross is strong in this one.

Its not horrible

Boring

honestamente no le preste la atención necesaria asi que debería revisitarlo en algun momento

Para escuchar 1 sola vez en la vida

Not for me.

I had never heard a Fiona Apple song until I heard this album. Here's how it went: Into track 1 - Cool, I like this. Very of its time but this is clearly going to be better than I expected. A few tracks in - This isn't TOTALLY my cup of tea but I can hear that it's good. Very interesting music, some complexities but mostly driven by the vocals and lyrics. Midway through the album - fine, I have now heard Fiona Apple and can appreciate her. Back end of the album - this is taking a lifetime to end. Overall thoughts are that she's heavy talented and I'd have no issues listening to another album but outside of the first 3 tracks, I'm likely to never return to Tidal. A high 2 because I can't quite justify a 3. I didn't enjoy all of it.

This was really fucking boring

This was boring imo..

La música no sé si me gusta, i mean it’s alright y si la entiendo en el contexto de su estilo, pero a mi se me hace cansado oír un disco en el que sólo importa la voz y está tan arriba de los instrumentos todo el tiempo xd Canta bien cuando no se pone en modo rockera, pero igual no me fascinó

I talk to a somewhat mentally unstable lady online occasionally and mentioned I got this album for today and she said I ”triggered” her ’cause there’s a song about rape or something on it. Anyway, I listened to it while working out at the gym (leg day) and didn’t really remember anything about it afterwards. But nothing really irritated me either, so I guess that’s a basic two stars.

Way too much tambourine.

I like her voice and the songs are pretty, but they're too mellow and boring for me.

GENERIC MUSIC FOR WOMEN WOMEN DONT GOOD MUSIC TASTE BAD

Dull, she has a nice voice but non of the lyrics stood out to me and the backing instrumentation is quite repetitive. Not really sure what it's trying to achieve. Mid 2

Sikkert bra dette. Men veldig kjedelig, og veldig mye likt.

I get the vibe but it isn’t for me.

Honestly very bored by it. I just wanted to hear same era PJ Harvey instead.

Not really my vibe.

I know Fiona based off her Beatles cover of across the universe, and the fact that I see her name a lot on tinder. Welp, this is not what I expected. There wasn’t anything particularly interesting here for me. The hit (criminal) is good, shadow boxer is good, and I really liked the jazzy score in Pale September. It’s only bonkers that this album feels so fully realized at only 18?! I don’t know how frequent I’ll revisit, but I’m definitely gonna check out more of her stuff

I remember Fiona Apple being an influence on my adolescence; however, similar to then I could never latch on to her vibe. Regardless, it was nice to listen to this album. I just may not revisit it going forward.

Didn't like her voice, didn't get into any of the tunes. Meh all a bit backgroundy. Lyrics have a lot of attitude but didn't make it any less forgettable. Is Badass Background a genre?

Not a fan and i don't get the appeal. Mediocre.

Album Review 087 Tidal by Fiona Apple (1996) Rating 2.5/5 This is the first time I’ve knowingly listened to Fiona Apple, although I may have heard it countless times in book shops or queues as it is perfect background music. There may be some really strong, emotive stuff here but I simply didn’t have enough interest from the start to find it. Ask me to hum one of the tunes or repeat a lyric and I’d be at a loss.

Ooooft this was really not my thing at all. Found it quite uninteresting. I guess her voice is kinda cool, but the songs and the melodies are meh. The ambience would be good for the end of a shrooms trip, hence my 2 star rating

I’m so tired of this shit! This is 1001 albums and I’m just not in the mood I listened to most of the songs, I like her singing alright, but it’s so unbelievably boring to me right now. It also just doesn’t feel 90s to me like it’s in the wrong decade out of place. It feels more 2000s or 2010s in a bad way somehow.

Weird, not my vibe.

Polished turd

Good voice. Boring

Öde

Lame 90s

comme un morceau de beurre qui glisse dan une peole a peine chaude

This one felt a lot like a breakup album. It seemed good but I just couldn't get over that vibe.

I really enjoyed fetch the bolt cutters - but this is falling fairly flat to me. Possibly because i have been listening to Joni Mitchell at alot (unfair comparison perhaps) - but its leagues above this. There are the odd moments of joy but mostly its a bit meh.

Percebe-se a intenção de seguir um estilo próprio, com uma sonoridade pop e alternativa. O álbum assume um perfil experimental inclusive, porém nunca chega a surpreender. Um álbum monótono e pouco entusiasmante.

3.5/10

Pleasantly surprised again but am album on this list. Not my cup of tea, but you can hear the influence out maybe had on Regina Spektor or Sharon Van Ettan. At times I was lost in her voice and instrumentation, which oddly kept reminding me of songs from James Bond films. At other times, I was perplexed at the tedium of it.

I kind of did enjoy this one. I think this may be an album that grows on me over time. 3.9/10 for today

Generic

Nothing offensive, just mundane. It had the same effect as counting sheep, I got bored and fell asleep.

I liked ‘never is a promise’. The rest didn’t really capture me.

A primeira metade até traz um pop interessante, mas no geral é um disco standard de cantora, com vocal standard. Razoável.

Not my taste. Not a bad album but didn’t appeal to me as others have

More of a 2.5 for me. The songs and instrumentals are pretty good but the style of singing and songwriting is really just not for me. There are a few highlights to the album but nothing that I’d want to hear again.

she has a unique voice but the album idk just probably not for me

surprised how low key it is. criminal is a jam and only song i knew. shadowboxing is good. the rest is not really grabbing me. seems a little dated across the board.

Pues no conecto con esta muchacha. Las canciones están producidas sin un estilo definido y me parecen todas insulsas.

Nothing special

i forgor

mostly sounds the same but not bad, fav song was The First Taste

Début sympa mais plus ça avance, plus j'ai l'impression d'écouter de la musique d'ascenseur...

Not bad at all, just not my jam. I would not come back to any songs on this album, but can appreciate the blues/r&b vibes. Also having never listened to Fiona Apple, this sounds EXACTLY like what I imagined it to sound like

I don’t own enough berets to enjoy this album I think

didn’t really grab me at all, just not a fan of this one unfortunately :(

She's talented, but I didn't care for the record.

Paves the way for artists like Adele but it’s a classic pre-streaming situation where a popular album was carried by a strong single with a bunch of filler around it.

Nothing

Haven't really listened to Fiona Apple before. The album was all right. The slower songs are better. Best song: Criminal

i want to like this but i find it at best slightly interesting and at worst annoying for the same reasons i dislike radiohead and most singer-songwriter music.

No thank you. I doubt I will ever listen to this again.

All in all, for me, this was unremarkable. Musically and vocally it’s fine, but there was nothing about this that I found particularly interesting.

Firmly in the "not great, but not bad" category.

This was a lackluster hodgepodge that didn't do anything for me.

There were songs I liked but over all not gonna listen to it again anytime soon.

Artisti oli tuttu nimeltä, mutta ei ollut aiemmin tullut kuunneltua. Levy alkoi lupaavasti. Ekan biisin ”Sleep to Dream” musa ja laulu oli melkein hypnoottista ja neljäs biisi ”Criminal” putosi parhaiten. Fionan laulu oli selkeää ja jykevää. Puolen välin jälkeen muuttui totaalisesti hissutteluksi ja biisit oli tasapaksuja. Ei jäänyt soittolistalle.

Not my favorite. Another case of on first listen, couldn't zero in on any memorable songs. More rambling than not.

Not really my thing. 90's rock that is of very little consequence.

I mean, you can tell she is talented. She was 21 when she wrote this. But, not my thing. One or two … ok songs, but majority, boring.

Maybe the last song was interesting. Not bad but not for me. 2.5

not really my thing

Boring. 2/5

I get why people like her...but when this came out, and almost 30 years later, I still am just kind of bored with it.

I thought this was kinda overrated, and now thanks to this Apple keep putting it in my playlists. I didn’t know why until I came back to do this review so thanks for that

Ahhh very mildly aware of Fiona and glad to hear the debut and get a better sense of her music… If anyone on here reads the album description on Qobuz - what is that guys problem?! 😂 I don’t know why this isn’t really hitting. Just feels like something missing and a bit lacking somehow, but at the same time has variety, unexpected elements and originality. Maybe just not my bag. And going for very close, clear and personal vox recording but doesn’t have the voice to hold it. It’s okay, and different enough, just pretty unforgettable. Someone mentioned a female Jeff Buckley, and I’d agree, but a VERY budget version with much worse composition. Got quite annoyed with it by the end. (2.5)

This album was fine musically and vocally, but it just didn’t appeal to me.

Wirkt sehr pretentious

This just isn’t music made for me

Fine, a little sleepy

Sorry I’m not fiolling this

Criminal was the only song I knew, the rest were boring.

Inert

Outside of one or two songs I was underwhelmed by this album. Good vocals but nothing more. It’s never a good sign when I’m counting down the tracks to the end of the album.

Criminal is the only thing keeping this from being a 1-star

It was ok

Didn’t do much for me I’m afraid.

I’ve heard of Fiona Apple but her music has until now passed me by. I was expecting something quite rocky/grungy after reading the reviews … but I was disappointed (and bored by the end).

Not really my jam. If I enjoyed listening to the music I might pay more attention to the lyrics and maybe there's something there but I just didn't have a good time.

niets spectaculair

had a nice session with some headphones but still couldn't come around to liking it

Pretty strong vocals here and some interesting instrumentation but overall this is god damn boring. The punches it delivers feel just a bit manufactured. I think this album lacks a lot of authenticity. I can see a lot of people liking this album if you're already into the genre, but I don't see a lot of reasons for this album to be my beachhead into exploring it any further.

I love her cover of the Beatles song Across the Universe and she has a beautiful voice but this album left me a bit cold

Listened last night, honestly can't remember anything about it.

It was nice didn’t do a lot for me though

It's just pop.

Never got her…

Decent voice but this was dullll

no sé wacho que es esto

alcuni pezzi mi sono piaciuti ma overall sinceramente a me mette un po’ angoscia

2.5

Not my kind of thing, but it was still off to a strong start. Enjoyed perhaps the first half. But gets a bit boring, samey, and the second half didn't have much to offer.

Melody nice in some places, lyrics absolutely terrible

Now that’s what I call boring 96

Boring, boring, boring. Inoffensive.

Bit meh. I didn't find it offensive, but not something I would actively listen to.

I didn't dislike the album, but I don't think I found anything musically interesting to warrant another listen.

Ne mogu zamisliti kolekciju 10 sličnijih dosadnijih pjesama.

Idk, I don't "get it"?

Not really my thing, but enjoyed Pale September

Pedestrian

Fiona Öpfel Han müsse ufgeh, irgendwie z wenig committment gha zum micht dur de ganz pop-obstsalat-album durezkämpfe, gid 2litrr suure öpfelsaft

ja irgendwie eifach öppis gsi? han glaub s'ganze album glost & glaub au 1 lied wiedererkennt aber isch glaub hintergrundmusig gsi glaub das gid weg em geringe störfaktor es 3? oder glaub doch es 2 willi's nie wieder wird bewusst lose? ja gid glaub 2 öpfelbütschgi glaub

Not my vibe

Aldrig lyssnat på förut, men inte så dum. Finns gott om nerv här. Det konsekventa pianot och cellon ger en fin sammanhållen helhet, kanske blir dock lite jämntjockt samtidigt och låtarna är generellt lite för långa. Shadowboxer tycker jag riktigt fin och ytterligare ett par spår höjer sig över massan. Känns som att detta är en textplatta, men jag skulle behöva några fler vändor för att få tillträde dit. Det blir fullt godkänt, med potential uppåt

Somekinda poor man’s singer-songwriter version of Hooverphonics? Not really make any real impact to me.

Kind of an boring pop record. Started off as a singer/songwriter type deal with slight edge of promise, but quickly turned stale and I found it boring. I'm also pissed that this is considered rock music by the grammys, after taking a peek at the nominees it seems to be even more meaningless award than I realized (also, this album was nominated in the 1997 awards).

não me desceu

It really wasn't to my taste. Her voice is incredible, but not one song gripped me. Maybe I wasn't in the mood and missed this one here as she is so revered by all

Meh 2.25

A fine album, I just don’t see myself ever listening to it again. Strong lyricism, vocals and musical arrangement. Just not for me.

Although some songs are dragging and compelling and the singer has a beautiful voice, it doesn't do much for me

first song - poor meh

BOOOOOORING

I had per-conceived notions coming in that were largely correct, but there is more variety here than I expected. It was fine background music to me catching up on work

The First Taste is fine. Last song isn't terrible either. Just isn't my kind of album, mostly due to vocals.

The great, mysterious, Fiona Apple - waify, alternative, seductress of the 90s that burst on the scene and then seemingly disappeared as fast as she appeared. Tiny girl, deep voice!! She was like the little weird girl from school that suddenly opened up and everyone was like - wow, where did she come from? Sleep to Dream and Criminal were the breakouts from this album and defined the sound of the album pretty well. The rest are mostly slower, sullen songs. Not really my bag, but this album definitely left an impression on 90s kids.

Meh

Good in the right circumstances. Instrumental during Shadowboxer was quite good. Worst Song: Pale September Best Song: The First Taste Added to Liked Songs: Shadowboxer, The First Taste

Was excited to go back and listen to this but was underwhelmed.

altern. rock, 1996 -> 2

This is now one of the albums I've heard in my life. I'm no better or worse for it. It exists

Ok, not my kinda thing.

Sounds like a cross between Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette albeit perhaps a bit more introspective and a lot more maudlin. There's not much irony or levity to break the heaviness. I can see the appeal, but it's not for me. However, the song "Criminal" proved something of an earworm.

This is fine, but I found back then and still now (having read subsequent retrospectives) that there’s a kind of kid gloves treatment Apple gets in this early phase. “Can you believe such a sound comes from such a young thing?” Too much of a gimmick, in other words. But, gimmicks get you in the door, and for that, I thank Tidal. In general, there’s a soul/jazz monotone vocal that Apple returns to throughout Tidal, which she abandoned just a few years later. I mean, she was 18 when this was being recorded, kinda tough to level any substantial critiques. Probably 17 when she wrote half the material. The leaps she would make only a few years later far outshine the crutches she relies on here.

Unique voice, and songs. Made a splash than kinda disappeared. Like so many artists today.

I don’t get why this is enjoyable in any way. She sounds so hurt and scorned that she sounds like an emotional vampire

Some nice songs, first song caught my attention. Lost over the middle part of the album. Criminal has a cool opening bass riff

jazz pop, not really my thing 2.5

I understand what this album is supposed to be, but something about it just does not work for me. I’m not a fan of the idea that the voice is the instrument and the lyrics becoming secondary to just enjoying the husky raspy tones of somebody’s voice. Congrats are having so many singles on this album, but I thought they all sounded very similar, and I don’t think I would come back to listen to this album again unless someone really really begged me to give it another listen.

I do not know, if I be ever grown-up enough for this kind of music. Fav: The First Taste

Un po' una lagna...

She seems upset. Sometimes angry, mostly sad. Someone sould dend her some flowers

Pretty boring, all the songs sounded the same.

Didn't do anything for me

Didn’t finish it

Much like Suzanne Vega, I don't feel like these one or two hit wonders are albums I need to listen to before I die.

Arbitrary

Kivoja melodioita mut ei ihan oma juttu

3/1001. I listened to this twice with about a week delay, the 2nd listen since I thought perhaps I didn't pay enough attention to the music or something. But no, this music doesn't speak to me. Somehow it sounds like a 17-year old who wants to tell her life story, cry her heart out, but there is not much to tell yet. Nothing too wrong about the music, but the songs roll out one after other without too much variation. I suppose she was one to start or at least to establish a genre, but the ones who came after really mastered it (perhaps her later albums as well). Nevertheless imho a surprisong pick for 1001 albums.

A high 2 but despite this clearly being decent, it didn't do anything for me

Can appreciate this but not my taste

Not for me

Not sure I get it. Musically, there's noting there that pulls me in. Lyrically interesting at times but otherwise drab.

Not the worst but nothing really grabbed me. I preferred Fetch the Bolt Cutters

Not for me.

Mostly piano-led singer/songwriter fare with elements of trip-hop and a dash of jazz thrown in. A pleasant listen, well produced with some nice touches, but never really blew my socks off. Standard bluesy vocals throughout probably let it down melodically, which is a shame.

Pretty similar to the goldfrap one. Doesn't destroy my ears so its ok I guess but dont really enjoy this kind of music. Doesn't exite me.

Lyrically interesting, but melodically missing the hooks that characterized her peers of the time.

Love the cover, but just didn’t connect with this sonically or lyrically. Perhaps with more listens, but when does that become beating a dead horse in hope of a glimpse of life? I appreciated some lyrics, but I didn’t find myself wanting to hear anything again. Gave it a few listens, wouldn’t skip it if it came up again, but unlikely to ever go back to it. I found it a bit dreary and monotonous, dragging my mood down. It didn’t feel enjoyable or a pleasure to listen to, but more like a burden or even, dear I say, a punishment. I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t ask for it again.

It definitely sums up the sound of the era. Not my taste though.

Eher nicht so mein Fall, etwas zu langsam

Didn't find to much in this one that stood out to me. A lot of repetition and all the songs are five minutes long (please there's neither the vocals nor the instrumentals to warrant that length). Her vocals worked okay with the first half tracks where they're a bit more upbeat and the vocals are almost more spoken word but I didn't think they worked in slower songs when she tried to go higher/sing more sustained notes.

She has such a voice especially in "Shadowboxer" or "Never Is a Promise" really profound, really touching but I'm not a huge fan of the music like that sounds weird which actually sucks because she sings pretty nicely !

Wrong time, wrong place. Was incredibly tired when I listened to this and it didn't help the situation. Didn't hate it but it went by uneventfully

Its nice as background music but not to actively listen to

Very sad girl 90s. Strong piano. Not sure at all what is special about this album. I guess criminal (I've been a bad bad girl) is a decent song and a bit of a classic, but don't think it supports the rest of the album. Maybe if I was into jazz this would be good?

Inte min grej

So I do find Fiona’s voice pretty annoying for the most part and the songs on her debut aren’t really the full Fiona whack which is probably a good thing considering how much I dislike all her later stuff I’ve heard. There’s some chill 90s grooves here but not too many memorable choons except for the first minute of Criminal (I’ve been a bad, bad guuuurl). The First Taste rides silkily along a nice undulating Latin beat and is the closest thing to a favourite track. 2.5 stars.

Not one i'd come across before, lets go. Ok, all the pieces are here, voice is ok, nice drums, piano is good, strings are good, why am i not enjoying this? I ended up listening twice as i couldnt grab it. It sounds like an AI album where everything should fit but it just doesnt, a jigsaw picture made of lots of different puzzles that dont quite fit and the effect is very jarring. I kept getting a nice beat or a hook and then it would disappear without any development. Very strange

Decent voice but my god it's boring

A less slutty version of Lana Del Rey

I do not like Fiona Apple's music. There I said it. There is something about this album that feels off. Something about the vocals and the music do not mesh. I think the vocals are too loud. And I also don't think her voice is good enough to be put over the instrumentals chosen for this album. It is off-putting to me.

2+ Stars (6/15)

Played it, remembered a few songs from when they were originally released then went back to what I was doing. Didn’t really do it for me then, nothings changed I’m afraid.

I think I dozed off a couple of times

Pretty good, a few I enjoyed. Somewhat alt rock, nice voice.

Not that bothered.

insubstantial

Great voice, the songs left a bad taste in my mouth though. Just... not for me, I suppose. Some interesting bits but nothing I want to bring into my future. Not relatable enough for me and toward the end everything started to sound a bit the same, with a couple exceptions that I don't really care to review.

I’m sure someone liked it, just not sure whomst

big meh

com todo respeito à voz e letra da Apple mas esse disco só não acabava

Bad apple

If you take away the "can you believe she was 18 and 19 years old when she made this, her debut?", and just focus on the music, you're left with a different vibe. I never listened to this record in 1996 or after, but probably brushed up against a couple of the singles here and there... "Criminal" was hard to escape for a bit there. So it's interesting to hear this disembodied voice and production, removed from its time period and context. It certainly sounds great, with a jazzy, '70s singer-songwriter undertone... seventh chords and melodies clinging to the blues scale when she runs out of melodic ideas... this was also the period of time when rock songs, even 'pop' songs, were at their longest on average, and this record is caught in that snare... "Criminal" is groovy and catchy but it's 5:42, "Shadowboxer" is 5:25... you REALLY have to be patient with these songs. I don't get why the people in charge would allow "Slow Like Honey" and its plodding, meandering ilk to make the final cut... it's like a lounge singer who has been playing standards who told the audience "I'm gonna play one of MY songs now" and puts everyone to sleep... it REALLY pulled me out of the record, and the nineties bossa groove of "The First Taste" couldn't get me back. In the end, for me at least, the production, the voice, the musicianship, is all far better than the actual songs. That may be enough for some, but it wasn't enough for me.

Couldn't get the overall appeal for this album, to me, it sounded like a person who made an album that hasn't honed in on their sound and hasn't quite figured out what they're going for. I did enjoy a single song off this though and it was "The First Taste", so the album wasn't a complete wash. Perhaps its because its the most pop sounding tracks.

Every song sounds like Phil Spector was given the reigns and he said more strings and swell effects. Repetitive.

Boring

Not really my thing, couple of ok songs, quite morose, nothing particularly standout or influential about the album, very bland