Tidal

Schwer zwischen 3 und 4. Da ich es gerne nochmal hören würde 4/5

SHE WROTE A DYLAN-ESQUE RECORD AT 16. but also, i kinda knew about fiona way before i listened to this album. can't believe she sounds like that in her debut album, a masterpiece.

I love fiona apple but this is slower than bolt cutters, so its a four

4.5, just left wanting a little on vocals

Really didn't rate this album as very much on a first listen, but Fiona Apple's voice is gorgeous and she shows it all over this one Favorite Songs: Slow Like Honey, Shadowboxer

Never is a Promise is a perfect song.

Great for what it is, but feels very singer songwriter, which isn't my thing.

Really turned the tides around in my life

That was altogether more rich, varied and enjoyable than I thought it was going to be. When I saw it came out in 1996 I braced myself for something akin to the grumpy yelpings of Alanis Morrisette, but what heard instead really took me by surprise. In fact, I have to keep checking that date. 1996? Really?? It could have come out last week. I've never knowingly heard anything by Fiona Apple, but I'm really impressed with this. Nice find - I will investigate further.

Tinha ouvido outro álbum dela e não tinha gostado. Mas gostei bastante deste. Destaque shadowboxer e never is a promise

Este álbum es bastante catártico, vulnerable, enigmático y sensual al mismo tiempo, la voz de la artista es impresionante y por momentos sorprende los ritmos y atmósfera que crea, a pesar que no vaya con el compás termina de encajar por completo

Favorites: Criminal, Shadowboxer, Sleep to Dream

Lahe ja iseloomu täis album. See pole päris 100% minu maitse, aga siin on korralikult krutskeid ja lüürikat, et mitu korda kuulata. Vokaal on ka lahe ja ma olen üllatunud, et ma pole ei sellest artistist ega plaadist kuulnud. 3.6/5

I'd never really listened to Fiona Apple - she has a hell of a voice. Love the use of piano in the recordings. I really like Slow Like Honey.

8.5/10 like it more then i expected nice voice. started hard and ended on a more calm sad note. very good piano. liked: sleep to dream never is a promise- shadowboxer criminal slow like honey

could possibly get to 5 stars with more listens, i’ve GOT to listen to more fiona apple

Pleasant music, much better than Morissette and Winehouse

(Light 8/10) At only 18 years old, Fiona Apple creates not only a wonderfully produced album, but also an incredibly mature and wise-beyond-her-years collection of songs. "Criminal" is indeed a classic, but also "Sleep To Dream" and "The First Taste" are other examples of just how powerful of an artist she was at such a young age. A very good record, I feel like the more I listen and dig into the lyrics my score will go up, for now though I am very pleased with my first listen-through (not my first Fiona album though) and will look forward to playing this one again.

She made this at 19?? I could never make an album this good.

I really liked this, don't know why I didn't listen to it when it first came out.

light 4.5.

4.5 maybe a 5, fantastic songwriting, amazing vocals, production is nice!

I don’t know if I’ve ever really got Fiona Apple. I’m well aware of her reputation but when I’ve tried to listen in the past nothing has really clicked, and I felt similarly when I started this album. but there are some great songs. my fave was Never Is A Promise, but I don’t envision listening often

She has a very pretty voice

an impressive debut.

Great

Oh Fiona. Well let’s see how I feel… Wow, this was so much better than I expected. Don’t know why my expectations were low. Maybe fan base? Don’t know, but I wasn’t psyched going in. This might have gotten a 5 on a different day. I mean damn the girl has talent. But too slow today. Though, I can’t say there’s a particularly rough spot on the album, it just doesn’t pull me through. I was dragging at the end. But it’s a solid 4. Boolean: definitely Yes. Surprised I never heard this album before

Smokey backroom, two drink minimum, whisky and cigar type vibe.

literally cheered when her face popped up on my screen. thank god i get some good fucking food after yesterday's slopfest. don't LOVE all the tracks on this one but overall a pretty good time. i prefer when the pawn personally favorite tracks: shadowboxer, criminal, carrion, the first taste

Sultry voice ,good songs

She is so sad - Stand Out Tracks: Shadowboxer, Criminal, The First Taste, Carrion

Muy tranquilo y melodico,me gusta

Mid-90s rock. Her debut. Incredibly strong female voice. Jazzy, smooth, very cool.

Very good, downloaded, and worth a relisten. Solid writing

What a great intro to an artist. The incredible pole dance of J. Lo. in Hustlers to Criminal

WOw

Oh Fiona, the world did you dirty…

I liked. GJ OG edgy girl

Good music, great vocalist, good writing with variety and nuance - I enjoyed this quite a lot.

The first song almost turned me off from the whole album. It seems to have a weird low production value. I dont exactly like her bland voice. However, the other songs are very good and diverse. Love her voice and the different rythms. Crazy learning that she wrote it all herself as a teenager, that just makes the listening different. My favorite song was the first taste, very underrated. Did not really enjoy the most famous songs, sleep to dream and criminal.

I was seventeen when Tidal was released - prime for Apple's mix of anger and Broadway inspired piano lines but this album passed me by, unlike Alanis' Jagged Little Pill, which was released the year before which remains a big part of my teenage listening oeuvre. To sit with this album today has been just wonderful. The lyrics combined with Apple's voice and musical intensity have made this a new staple in my listening 'pile'. As I get older I am drawn more and more to female artists and whilst always familiar Fiona Apple, the connection was peripheral - I'm glad to have had this land on my listening mat today!

I love love love "Sleep to Dream" and "Criminal"; I like the other tracks to varying degrees, but in my opinion, they've always paled in comparison a bit to these two tracks. Across the board, though, her songwriting is out of this world for a 19-year-old, and even though I think she goes on to do much better, this is an unbelievably impressive debut all things considered. 3.5/5

Good album

I knew quite a few bits of Fiona Apple - and always liked what I heard - but didn’t have much sense for her backstory or musical progression until reading about this album. I think she’s great. This album isn’t as interesting as some of the later stuff, perhaps, but includes some really strong songs. Shadowboxer, for example is a brilliant bit of songwriting.

love me a bit of the Apple

Kinda catJAM; pretty good and chill.

7/10 Having heard Fiona Apple’s name a lot over the years, she was someone whose work I’d never found the time to explore before, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Straight off the bat it’s clear that, despite being only 18 at the time of recording this record, she has an incredibly mature and controlled talent for performance, both vocally and at the piano. She has a lovely contralto vocal range that feels both jazzy and soulful and she has the chops to throw in lovely flourishes as required, while also showing the self control to use those chops sparingly to maximise their potency and effect. I was interested to hear a sprinkling of trip-hop production influence across the record which, while very much pinning the album at a certain time period, added an interesting quality to her more jazzy vocal and piano techniques. There’s also a touch of the singer-songwriter about this too, and the general blend of styles and vibes were one area in which the album felt like it lacked a little coherence and focus. It is a little bit of an uneven record in other ways too, with some of the songwriting feeling a little flat and failing to significantly capture enough standout moments in some of the tracks to help them become more than pleasant to listen to. That’s not to say that any of it was bad, particularly, because most of this was pretty enjoyable. For the weaker songs, the performances typically elevated much of the more vibey feel to a level slightly above that. When she got it right, though there were some really excellent moments. Shadowboxer really got me by the time I’d spun the album a few times, and the run from that to Slow Like Honey was brilliant. With many debuts, the real trick is to pick out the talents and use those as a launch pad to further develop an artists voice, and on this album, that launch pad feels very robust indeed. It’s a solid album without tipping over into brilliance, but certainly suggests that her subsequent work will be worth a thorough listen. Sleep To Dream - Quite a cool beat and vibe to kick us off. I like the swagger and rhythm of her vocal delivery and while things float a bit melodically during the verses, the chorus gathers up that roaming nature and delivers something more centred, which is a really nice juxtaposition. It’s quite a trip-hop feel, with the soulful vocal, jazzy piano and stuttering hip-hop beats. This is a pretty promising start. Sullen Girl - This is far more singer-songwriter stuff to begin with, but there are still echoes of that trip-hop sound in the production. This song kind of feels like it doesn’t know what it wants to be in that it changes vibe a reasonable amount from the stripped back bits to the fuller sections. It’s a bit rambly for me and doesn’t really manage to find a particularly engaging musical motif at any point that I can grab on to. It’s just a bit bland and aimless. Shadowboxer - There’s a nice downtempo swing to this and it feels like it has a bit more purpose and direction than the last track. Her voice and delivery are really good, and the vocal hook through the chorus is soulful with a touch of grit, which I really like. The depth and feel of the instrumentation and production here provides a rewarding listening experience, topped off with solid chops both on the piano and vocally. It’s not the most complex composition, but it does everything it does well and those key elements just elevate it. Criminal - The feel of the groove to this is really nice. The change in feel and tone between verse and chorus is cool too and again, Fiona’s vocal delivery is excellent. There’s something quite compelling about the layered rhythms from across the instrumentation and I found myself bobbing along to this one with gusto. I’m not completely keen on the string samples used, but that’s a bit minor and the rest of the track is solid work. This is a little on the rockier side of the road, but there’s still a bit of that electronica/trip-hop side to the production, and it’s a decent blend. Slow Like Honey - Fiona’s piano playing is really lovely here. It’s a bit of a meandering number, but I quite like the roaming, almost jazzy focus of this. I particularly enjoy some of the choices of musical modulation when she jumps out of minor modalities with little flickers into a more major tone giving hints of optimism within a track that’s quite dark and dreary overall. It’s a subtle song, but I can picture this being completely captivating in a smoky jazz bar. It’s really lovely stuff. The First Taste - I wasn’t expecting the beat that kicked in for this, feeling like it was going to carry on the smoky jazz vibe of the last track. Her vocal performance is excellent again, but the mix of sounds in this is a little bit confusing, with some of the instrumental choices sounding a little oddly paired. I like the general thrust of the groove though and, while it’s a bit melodically rambling, the overall vibe does feel decent, even if it feels a bit rhythmically cluttered. Never Is A Promise - This is quite pretty and stark, but again, it doesn’t feel entirely melodically focused and while the performances are very good, the combination of sparseness and slightly wafty melodic centre, it doesn’t quite manage to fully connect and maintain attention in a way the better tracks have done. It’s still very pretty in its own way though. The Child Is Gone - Oof, some of the little bits of vocal flourish she chucks in here and there are really lovely. The vocal performance is so mature and tasty and conjures up a bit more of that jazzy vibe, despite the fact that the rest of the track doesn’t have that kind of vibe. In fact, the rest of the track does jar a touch against that. It feels like there’s a really decent song in here somewhere, but the arrangement and orchestration don’t feel like they really do it the justice it deserves and it feels a touch muddled and unfocused because of that, which is a shame. Pale September - Another pretty but musically wandering piece. There are moments of quality in here, but it’s a bit too repetitive in the piano part and just feels like it’s drifting along not really offering any particular intent or direction. As a result, this one ends up just being a little bit dull and uninspiring as even the vibe is just a touch on the bland side. It’s also too long. Carrion - This immediately has a bit more to it. The blend of rhythms from the instruments gives it a nice shuffling groove and there’s a bit more going on melodically. The sudden change to the chorus about a minute and a half in is SUPER jarring though. It almost feels like they’ve just dropped a completely different song in at that point, with the sudden thickening of the orchestration and complete shift of the rhthm. We do find our way back to the verse and the work on there is really good. What a strange production and songwriting choice that is and it doesn’t work for me at all. Looked at alone, the verses and choruses here are both actually good, but I just don’t feel like they work together.

A fantastic album, especially given that it is a debut from a very young artist. The instrumentals are lush and elegant. Fiona is an incredible singer. She has done better and I still think she is coming into her own as an artist a bit here, but this is still a very good record

Fiona Apple es una artista con excelente reputación entre la crítica. Digamos que es el reverso femenino de Sufjan Stevens. Con una personalidad diferente e inusual, un talento fuera de toda duda y con el tiempo un sentido del humor que le ha sido terapéutico. Tiene alguna versión y colaboración por las que cualquier artista se daría por satisfecho si solo hubiera hecho eso en toda su carrera. Con Elvis Costello, con Cash en Bridge Over Troubled Water o el Across the Universe de los Beatles. No es PJ Harvey, ni Kate Bush, eso vaya por delante. Tiene un estilo más similar a Alanis y una voz a Bonnie Raitt (o Sheryl Crow), pero su estilo podría ser la PJ más contenida, sirvan Never is a promise o Sullen girl como ejemplos, si bien aquí recuerda a otras ilustres como Weyes Blood, Angel Olsen, e incluso a Florence, todas ellas influidas de manera evidente por Fiona. Este debut, es un buen disco, grande, suen bien, buena producción y tiene buenas canciones. Desde la inicial Sleep to dream o Shadowboxer (primer sencillo, que sintetizan perfectamente el tono del disco. The child is gone es de mis favoritas. Obviamente hay que cotar Criminal, su tema más conocido (el otro es Paper bag de su siguiente disco) y compuesto en apenas media hora como respuesta a su discográfica para tener algo que poder vender. El único pero que se le puede poner es su homogeneidad, le falta algo un poco más de chispa a veces para evitar que se vuelva monótono. Lo que se intuye en Sleep to Dream. Algo que lograría con sus siguientes discos: When the pawn... (con record al título más largo de un disco, al menos unos años) The Idler Wheel... y Fetch The Belt Cutters" Un excelente debut de una artista con 18 años (en eso recuerda a K. Bush).

This one's a meditative bedroom listen I'd reach for one searching for some amount of catharsis. Fiona's vocals hit hard and fast from the start of the album and don't really give up for the rest of the hour. Any album that starts heavy and swings into melancholy will always have my heart in some sense. Carrion is a very close second for my favorite on this album just for how emotionally explosive it is. Favorite Song: Never is a Promise

"never is a promise / and you can't afford to lie" i can't imagine being 17 and having already experienced so much pain that you could write and record an album like this. no wonder she's such a fan of Maya Angelou — talk about kindred spirits. this isn't a trip-hop album but it's also not NOT one. The First Taste in particular has a real sinuous-but-skittering groove to it that i can very easily imagine the Massive Attack boys laying down raspy verses over. her voice is, of course, just perfect for these songs. she has such mastery over that weary contralto; you don't have to tax your imagination at all to envision her on stage, behind a piano, in some cigarette-choked nightclub seizing the attention of everyone present and refusing to release it, refusing to let anyone breathe.

great songwriting, great voice, great work by the band. hard to say too much more really, it's just really good.

Todella lahjakas laulaja, vähän amy winehouse-tyylinen ääni mutta pehmeämpi. Menee jatkoon

nice and relaxing

No. 188 Believe it or not, it's my first time listening to Fiona Apple, and what an artist is she to listen to for the first time. It's a wonderful, powerful record. I absolutely love it.

I had heard a lot about Fiona Apple but never listened to her. But wow, she wrote these songs as a teenager and recorded the album at 18, respect.

This slaps and I believe she was extremely young when she made this????? Mind boggling.

What struck me most about this record is that it doesn’t feel like a precocious debut. It feels like a completed internal system. Most nineteen-year-old artists still show the seams - influence, overreach, uncertainty, flashes of brilliance amid attempts to prove seriousness. This arrives with an already coherent emotional and musical logic. Not “promising”, but authored. The obvious headline is the voice, but the deeper achievement is judgement. Fiona Apple already understands arrangement as psychology. The grooves drag rather than propel. The rhythm section sustains atmosphere instead of chasing impact. Songs are allowed to simmer, with tension carried in timing, phrasing and harmonic colour rather than overstatement. There’s jazz all over the record without it ever becoming “jazz-pop”. More accurately, it has jazz intelligence - blue-note pressure, delayed resolution, conversational elasticity, the understanding that restraint can create more emotional force than release. Again and again I found myself thinking about Nina Simone. Not stylistically, exactly, but in the way Apple leans on notes until they become emotionally argumentative. Certain phrases arrive almost declaratively rather than melodically, with straight-tone attacks that refuse easy warmth. A line like “then you let your love abound” lands not because she decorates it, but because she slightly bruises the note on arrival. The emotional uncertainty is embedded directly into the pitch. The sequencing is remarkably sophisticated too. This is not a collection of strong songs occupying the same CD. It behaves as an album - recurring emotional climates, controlled shifts in pressure, strategic releases of tension. Even the weaker moments are revealing. One mid-album groove piece drifts a little too close to “interesting nocturnal jam” territory and briefly obscures Apple herself behind the arrangement, which only highlights how completely the stronger tracks maintain authorial gravity. Most of the time the music bends around her consciousness rather than the other way around. What fascinated me most was the album’s relationship with control. The songs are emotionally intense, but very rarely uncontrolled. Even the confessional moments contain a hovering intelligence evaluating the scene in real time. “Criminal” in particular works because it never fully settles into either guilt or seduction. There’s an arched eyebrow throughout the performance, as though Apple is simultaneously inhabiting and quietly interrogating the role she’s been assigned. The songs repeatedly resist simplification. Shame, power, desire, performance and self-awareness coexist in unstable combinations. “Never Is a Promise” feels like the emotional centre of the record. Not because it offers catharsis, but because it understands instability without collapsing into nihilism. The title itself is devastatingly perceptive - absolutes are promises people make while standing inside temporary emotional weather. The arrangement trusts space and melodic contour rather than grandstanding, and the vocal performance is astonishingly measured. Elsewhere, tracks like “Pale September” show another side of the record entirely. Apple stops projecting over the arrangement and instead sits inside it, becoming part of the atmosphere rather than dominating it. It reminded me less of singer-songwriter confessionals and more of the suspended emotional climates of old torch songs - not melodrama, but weather. The final stretch is particularly impressive because the album refuses obvious closing-track behaviour. Instead of building toward some grand prestige-ballad summation, it initially appears to drift sideways into ambiguity before suddenly escalating in emotional pressure. The shift arrives so abruptly that it feels meteorological rather than conventionally “developed”. You realise retrospectively that the calm was compression. What lingers afterwards is not simply the quality of the songwriting, but the unnerving completeness of the artistic identity. This does not sound like someone entering an existing lane. It sounds like somebody already in possession of a private aesthetic law and expecting the listener to adapt accordingly. The truly absurd part is that she was nineteen when she made it.

surprisingly liked it yay!

Well, I guess we're keeping the doctor away today, am I right? Get it? Cause, like, an apple a day keeps the doctor away? Hey, it's not every day that I get to talk about an artist named Apple, okay? I'm trying here! Whatever. Let's talk about Fiona Apple! I've heard the name Fiona Apple floating around the music discourse world and I've heard great things said about this artist. As such, I was quite excited to dive into her 1996 debut album, Tidal, as my first album of hers. How do I like them Apples? A lot, actually! This is pretty great! Right off the bat, I understand the appeal of Fiona Apple as an artist. Fiona's voice is great. It's very earnest and fits the lyrics very well. Speaking of which, the lyrics! I've gotta say, I'm very impressed by Fiona Apple's lyricism. There's a great blend of raw emotion and occasional wordplay and it's quite wonderful. This album is distinctly feminine, but not in a way that feels forced or dumbed-down. It's quite empowering and I have a ton of respect for everything here. The music of the album is also right up my alley. What can I say? I like piano rock. Of course, you've got some iconic singles here like "Shadowboxer" and "Criminal," both of which are stellar, but the deep cuts are great too. The fact that a song as good as "Pale September" is the least streamed song on this album is insane. Admittedly, this album isn't perfect, and I'm sure Fiona's made better albums than this. I've especially heard great things about this album's followup, When the Pawn..., but that album's not on the list, so unfortunately I won't get to talk about it for the main album project. Oh well. At least I got to talk about this impressive debut album of hers. Great stuff! High 4/5.

might be the best vocals from a modern female artist i have ever heard. AMAZING. 4.5/5

Sleep To Dream, Criminal and Shadowboxer are such great songs. This is a really good album. I’m surprised Fiona didn’t have wider success.

la verdad que me sorprendió gratamente, buen álbum, totalmente equilibrado

Catchy, and warm vocals, just a solid easy listen album with some great songs borderline 4

Unerwartet gut.

Anything Fiona Apple is wonderful

Listening to this you will get the feeling that you are sitting in a smoky jazz club basement listening to 20s era soothing and scintillating music. A very good album and worthy of inclusion on this list. Fiona has a terrific alto voice.

Soft rock dreamscape.

Favorite track(s): Sleep to Dream, Shadowboxer, Criminal, Slow Like Honey, The First Taste, Carrion

This is immediately very much my jam. Great melancholy-sounding folksy alternative stuff. It was to no great surprise that when looking up more detail on the album I discovered Jon Brion played a bunch of guitar and other instruments on here... I can hear it, ahh! Wonderful stuff. Love Jon Brion. Have never listened to Fiona Apple. As it turns out, I guess I like Fiona Apple as a musician. Another "W" for this website.

Shadowboxer>>>>>>>>>>>>

This album is great. The vibes are great and very consistent throughout. Ar Fiona has a lovely voice and the songs are dreamy rather.

4.25 - oh my sweet Fiona. I love her later albums a slight bit more, but anything she puts out is golden. Fav songs this time around: Pale September // Carrion // Criminal // Sullen Girl

Intelligent lyrics, sung well.

The video for Criminal made 13 year old me have interesting feelings, and also wonder why she was wearing so many layers of undergarments...

QUE MUJER LPM

Tidal de Fiona Apple me impresionó bastante. Es increíble que a los 18 años ya tuviera las conexiones y la oportunidad para crear un álbum así. No es mi género favorito, pero aun así se siente el talento y la intención desde el principio. El disco suena bien sincero, como si estuviera narrando exactamente lo que estaba viviendo en ese momento. Tiene una carga emocional fuerte que lo hace destacar, incluso si no es algo que escucharía todo el tiempo. En general, le doy un 4 de 5, más que nada por lo honesto y auténtico que se siente el proyecto.

Used to love this CD. Still enjoy it quite a bit. 4/5

This was a lot more straightforward than previous Fiona Apple albums we have done, but still very pretty. Enjoyable, but maybe not her finest.

Easy to listen to, lovely in places, got a bit samey and relentlessly melancholy by the end

I’ve heard this before but it’s been a long time, probably not since the 90s. I remember thinking it was good but not really my thing as I had finally gotten into hardcore and was looking for heavier stuff. It’s really impressive how full the songwriting is and how mature considering she must have been 17 or 18 when she wrote these. Most of the songs are really great, with 2 or 3 that are bordering on filler territory. It’s a good album altogether.

las influencias a Lana están calcadísimas así que entiendo lo de ser pionera en alternative pop. Sullen girl me pareció muy linda y calma, y no ha sido un album malo por ahora. Slow like honey tiene todo lo que no me gusta en las canciones de Lana. Shadowboxer y the first taste suenan a Shakira Mebarak. Canta bonito.Final del álbum está un poco aburrido

Yeah, good. Had not heard of this artist or album before. Liked the first track instantly, trip hop beats and swooshy string arrangements. It was a bit disappointing that this remained best track on the album for me. A lot of tracks have a really similar tone, many with very similar chord progression/melodies. I would listen again and it might be a grower.

This was excellent. Never heard of her before

She's actually very good

This was great, Florence Welch owes a lot to Fiona Apple

Oooh Fiona Apple-bonanza! Inte riktigt lika bra som förra. Lite enklare och mer lättlyssnat men vilket debutalbum haha

omg vad är oddsen!! vilken lycka!

Hard to knock this one.

This whole album had kind of a cabaret feel to it, and “Slow Like Honey” especially leaned into that. It sounded like the kind of thing that could've influenced somebody like Amy Winehouse a few years later. Fiona Apple has that same smoky, dramatic way of delivering a song where even the quieter moments still feel a little theatrical. I’m almost certain I’d heard “Criminal” before, and it was pretty catchy. That was the obvious standout, but the whole album had a strong mood to it. “Carrion” was a solid closer too.

Surprisingly sophisticated. I’d dismissed her as pop and I was wrong.

Off my first listen this feels like an album that I will listen to for the rest of my life. Every song on her does something interesting musically and also has something to say that feels so honest and really catches your attention. Not to do with the record but the cover is also really cool. Fav tracks: Sullen girl, Shadow boxer, slow like honey, The first taste, and Carrion

Strong 4

Liked the personality, originality of the music and her voice, too. She was only 18 years old when it was released...

Although I didn’t save anything this was refreshing and I will be back to listen again.

Part of my regular rotation in the ‘90s, it’s been a while since I listened to the full album. A lot of the songs still hold up really well.

This is hard. I love FionaApple. I got to see her live. And as good as this record is, it is not her best. The highs are perfection (Never is a Promise, Shadowboxer), the good are great ( Slee to Dream, Criminal, Carrion) but the mediocre- albeit still good- are exactly that: mediocre (The First Taste, Child is Gone). She once said that she couldn’t sing yet on this record. Not sure how accurate that is but this one sounds ‘immature’ relative to her next record. In any case, it’s Fiona. Killer, Killer album.

I forgot how much I like Fiona. Really it was a different album than most 90s music. In a way she was in her own genre.

Su voz es bellísima y tiene excelentes canciones.

I really like the femme fatale vibe songs but some tracks were too sappy for my taste

This is almost a perfect 3.5, but I bumped it to 4 because she was horrifyingly Mozartishly young when she wrote these songs. Also, if I ever became a professional wrestler with a Saul Goodmanesque character I would totally use "Criminal" for my entrance music.

Believe it or not, it's my first time listening to Fiona Apple, and what an artist is she to listen to for the first time. It's a wonderful, powerful record. I absolutely love it. It's her debut and her voice sounds so mature, her songwriting so on point and unique. But it does feel like a debut. The production is not perfect in some songs, and I think their will be many more highlights in her career (that I'm expecting to discover soon). Anyway, it's a very very high 4

Great angsty pop music. It is all good but isn’t my favorite album of hers

- Fiona has a great voice with a lot of character - it's strong, but also melodic and expressive (though, sometimes it gets out of tune). - Some great piano playing, as well. - I also really enjoyed the thoughtful and emotionally raw/vulnerable lyrics. - All the songs were good, but I think I liked Never is a Promise best. - The album feels a little long - a song or two could have definitely been left off (maybe the last two) or shortened (Slow Like Honey).

Pretty incredible that she wrote this album as a teenager. The complexity of the music and lyrics are insane for someone at an age where I was mostly making fart jokes and trying to avoid doing homework. That being said, the teen “angst” might be the only (slight) negative. It feels like she’s wallowing a bit here, where on her later albums strength and resilience are more present. But really good stuff.

Fiona is everything right about the female voice. Soft, silky, and soulful with a near-hidden strength to it. Easily my favorite artist from the Lilith Fair group of the late '90's, she combined the child-like free spirit of Bjork with the powerful vocals of a Sarah McLachlan. Love this album. Influence 4. Quality 4. Hits 5. Intangibles 2. Love this 4.

Jazzy bluesy moody poppy

What a rich album. Amazing vocals that seem to get stronger and stronger as you journey through the track list, interesting lyrics that ask you to engage, and full bodied instrumentation that capture your attention.

Thoroughly enjoyed. Lounge vibes

Muy bueno: potente voz

Incredible instrumentation! Fantastic production! Great, clever lyric/song writing. This record has it all amd is an impressive debut.

Is it me or does she sing out of tune betimes?

This album kicks off strong. It's got some edge to it and I like it. "Criminal" is a highlight for sure, I think this album loses a little steam on the back end. But for the most part it really kinda rules.

This is a really great album, each song has merit. Fiona Apple's voice sounds great and the lyrics are thoughtful and emotive. Even though the whole album is good, 'Never is a Promise' is truly superb and deserves a special mention, a wonderful song. Favourites: Shadowboxer Criminal Slow Like Honey Never Is a Promise

Such a good album.

Not sure I have to listen more to it

Love this album already

What a great album. I haven’t listen to this sense the 90s. I think it was more nostalgic than music.

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Fiona Apple so I was happy to get this one, and I wasn’t disappointed. It plods at times, but it’s a beautiful album overall with a lot of emotion. The vocals are stellar, and the production’s really something.

Feels like the perfect album for a wee night with a glass of wine and some long looks out the window, rather than a bright an smelly walk in the country. It’s good though! Favourite track: Never is a Promise

Beautiful ballad vibes. Minimal instrumentation to really highlight the voice and story telling.

I would love to relisten to this in the winter

Great album. Love her voice paired with the piano and slow jazzy music.

90s angst in the best way

I very much enjoyed listening to this album. Fiona Apple is an exceptional songwriter both lyrically and in song structure. My favorite track was Like Honey. I'm really surprised she has only released 5 albums.

Album #45, Fiona Apple, Tidal ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I absolutely love Fiona Apple’s 2012 album The Idler Wheel…(etc). I’d nearly rank it among my favourite singer-songwriter albums ever. I first listened to it the year it came out without really knowing much about her, and I still go back to it all the time. Songs like Periphery and Anything We Want are among my favourite songs by female artists and singer-songwriters in general. So I’m a bit of a fool for never really listening to the rest of her catalogue. I tried the first few tracks of Fetch the Bolt Cutters at one point, but for whatever reason I had to turn it off and I never went back to it, even though I know it’s hugely loved. Other than that, I hadn’t heard a scrap of her music. She’s one of those artists where I’ve always had this feeling that I’ll probably love the rest of her work, so I almost kept it in reserve, thinking at least I’ll always have more Fiona Apple to discover. So this is my second Fiona Apple album and it’s so good. Someone should make a list of the most impressive albums ever released by teenagers. This should rank very highly. She wrote this when she was around 17 to 19 years old, which is mind-blowing. The maturity of every element of it shows a kind of wisdom and experience way beyond her years. Her voice is husky and beautiful, and the chord progressions and melodies across the album are just gorgeous. At one point listening to Pale September I genuinely felt like I was in a bit of a trance. The lyrics are excellent throughout as well. She weirdly reminds me of Jeff Buckley at times, another jilted chanteuse, but she’s even better. My favourite tracks are probably the three singles, especially Shadowboxer. There’s a bit of a trip-hop feel to them, which I love. Sleep to Dream really shows that more aggressive side of her voice. The drums and instrumentation are fantastic, and I really like how nearly every song expands into an instrumental outro where the band stretches the musical ideas out. So why isn’t it a five? Honestly this might be the strongest four I’ve come across. The middle section of the album, around Slow Like Honey to Never is a Promise sags a little for me. It leans more into straightforward singer-songwriter territory and some of the songs start to feel a bit melodramatic and less interesting. That stretch brings the score down slightly. But still, this album has genuinely given me another reason to live because now I have to go and discover the rest of Fiona Apple’s catalogue. She’s very obviously a genius. So yeah, an extremely strong four stars.

Always confused her with Tori Amos. 4/5

First Fiona Apple album! Beautiful contralto voice. Stellar production. Mellotron!! Can't wait to hear more. Favourite tracks: "Sleep to Dream", "Shadowboxer", "Carrion"

She wasn't even 20 when she made this. Amazing.

Such a powerful voice I'm obsessed with it. Sometimes you can barely hear the emotion in a singer's voice and it sucks. I can feel her anger and sadness and that's more important than simply having a good voice. Liked criminal and sleep to dream.

I dont know if I know a single Fiona Apple song but I do know the name. Apple's debut album "Tidal" hits from the opening and maintains a raw energy through the first 4 songs. I think pop is a bit disingenuous here. I would call this "girl grunge". It doesn't have the grizzliness of Cobain's tone but the lyrics, tone of music, and overall vibe really strikes me as a bit grungy.

Had a great (is that the right word for an album as sad as this) time with this one. First time I've listened to Fiona Apple so I'm rather happy it's started off this well!

Tidal is one of those debut albums that immediately feels fully formed. Fiona Apple arrived with a distinctive voice, sharp songwriting instincts, and a band that understood how to leave space for the music to breathe. What stands out most is the production and arrangement. Many of these songs unfold patiently, with piano, rhythm section, and subtle textures locking together in ways that feel intentional but never overproduced. The grooves are understated but effective, and the space in the mix lets every part contribute without crowding the song. Apple’s melodies are another highlight. Several tracks reveal themselves as quiet earworms — the kind of melodies that creep back into your head later in the day. Songs like “Sleep to Dream,” “Shadowboxer,” and “Criminal” balance emotional intensity with strong musical structure, giving the album both depth and accessibility. While the album may stop just short of all-time classic territory, it’s a remarkably confident debut. The synergy between the songwriting, performance, and production makes Tidal feel cohesive from start to finish and rewards repeated listens.

This was a great album. I should listen to more Fiona Apple.

For a record that was basically promoted as a pop album with big music videos, lush production, focus on Fiona as a big star etc this is really out there. It's a record focused on the lyricism which is mostly dark and disturbing, all of the tracks are 4-5 minutes long at least and Fiona Apple is definitely not a conventional pop star by any means. Altogether this is an outstanding debut record - close to a 5 for me

This may be my new favorite Fiona Apple album. A lot of really great songs, but I think the second half does dip in quality just a little bit. I don't really know what else to say, just an overall really solid album. High 4.

An excellent album that exposes the talent of Fiona Apple. Really a groundbreaking record.

Loved this album when it came out. Still do.

moms, this one is for you!

Tidal showcased Fiona Apple's talent when she was young, every song sounds like it has genuine emotion tied to it and it's unique in a way that makes it stand out from other albums released by female artists in the 90s. 4.3/5

Wow. Somehow I slept on this album when it first came out. I remember not liking "Criminal" because of how much it was played on the radio, but this album is great. Dark, moody, brooding with some great vocals and on point string and piano arrangements. Big fan now. Highlights: "Sleep to Dream", "Shadowboxer" and "Never Is A Promise"

Really enjoy the jazz influence that Fiona brings to what turned out to be a nice 90s pop record. Kind of gets a bit too soft for me sometimes going into the 2nd half, but still a nice listen. Really like the piano vamp/riff on The First Taste, and Shadowboxer and Criminal definitely earned their slots as singles. Hearing Mellotron strings on an album is also always appreciated, one of my favorite sampled instruments. 8/10.

Super consistent in a very entertaining way, good sounds all around. Favourite track: The First Taste

8/10 Not gonna lie this might be my least favorite of her albums, but it's an excellent debut. Really pleasant piano playing, but the album starts losing momentum near the end.

Super peak album it inspired me to make a playlist with a similar vibe 🐠

I’ve only listened to Fetch the Bolt Cutters and the Idler Wheel but I should've known anything from Fiona Apple was going to be good

Nice change of pace from the previous albums. Really like Fiona Apple voice and she has a great supporting band and instruments. Very nice variety of songs too and just an overall nice listen.

Sleep to Dream - 4.5/5 Sullen Girl - 3.5/5 Shadowboxer - 4/5 Criminal - 4.5/5 Slow Like Honey - 3/5 The First Taste - 4.5/5 Never Is a Promise - 3.5/5 The Child is Gone - 3/5 Pale September - 3/5 Carrion - 4/5 I came in expecting this to be another 3-ish star review after my first foray with Fiona Apple being Fetch the Bolt Cutters. I was surprised to hear that this was not at all like that album and in fact I think I like it better than her newest album on here. A wide range of emotions on display and feels a lot less neurotic. I can now see why people enjoy her as I was mostly on the fence with her. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Sleep to Dream, Criminal, The First Taste

muy bueno

Rv

I went into this one fully expecting to give it a 1 or 2 after how much I disliked "Fetch the Boltcutters". However, this album was fantastic. I knew "Criminal" was a great song going in, but the rest of the album was suprisingly good.

It's very pretty and well done songwriting and singing. Fiona Apple is one of those "Your favorite singer's favorite singer," types. And there's good reason for that.

This is a bit better than th dross we had before. I’ll admit I’d been aware of Fiona Apple but not actually heard her stuff. This is great. And even should be on this list.

So angry so sad ahhhh Aufbau des Albums ist krasss

4/5 half way through

Very close to giving this a 5, but just not quite. I love the quality of her voice, the arrangements are beautiful with her piano playing, strings and vibraphone throughout, and it's really quite an achievement to have written this as a teenager. First Taste is the first moment I was really surprised by the groove and the next track is just a stunning ballad (the harmonies on "heeeights" oh man). This would get a 4.5 if I could, just love the vibe of it.

Good album. I haven't been able to listen to it with the attention it deserves, but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed songs like Shadowboxer, Sleep to Dream or, especially, Criminal.

gorgeous...

Fantastic!!!! How can you write these songs when you are a teenager.....

Muy buen álbum

17. She was 17 when she wrote this. Bonkers. Solid vocal range. Great playing. Actual arranging. Solid production. I like her album Extraordinary Machine more but this is, in my opinion, more of a feat. This is one of the few albums I've wished for half star rating systems for as I'd go 4.5 I can't in good conscience give it a 5 but it's close.

One of the great debut! It's shame The Pawn and The Idler Wheel aren't on the list, but whatrugunado? Sleep to Dream Shadowboxer Criminal The First Taste

one of my favorites popped up today!

Awesome record. Had never heard it before.

I really loved this album and am still a little torn between 4 and 5 stars. Criminal and Carrion are my favorite songs; Carrion such an awesome way to end Tidal. A few of the other songs weren't as strong but the project as a whole is really cohesive. Love her voice and how much emotion she packs into her songs.

Nice relisten after many years. Never a promise is a gem.

Perfect mix of slowed down smooth jazz songs and more upbeat sounding pop songs.

𝘛𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘭, Fiona Apple’s debut with its understated, almost enigmatic one-word title, is a surprisingly assured introduction. What stands out immediately is how complete her artistic voice already feels: the smoky, flexible vocals, the brooding piano work, and a lyrical sharpness that cuts far deeper than one would expect from a nineteen-year-old. The album moves with a kind of simmering intensity — intimate one moment, volatile the next — yet always grounded in her distinct sense of melody and phrasing. It’s not a flawless record, but it’s a fascinating and confident beginning, one that makes it easy to understand why Fiona Apple became such a singular presence in alternative singer-songwriting.

The First Taste is the best song ever made. Rest of the album is chill

Solid 4 star from Fiona Apple

I liked shadowboxer and the first song on the album

Fiona's first album is one I haven't heard in many years, but "Criminal" is still a favorite after all this time. Revisiting it for this was a little more enlightening; I have more of an appreciation for the sort of atmosphere she cultivates. Dark, sultry, lonely and striking.

not my favorite album by fiona, but it is still amazingly good.

My second favourite Fiona apple album but only because here second is so good. Criminal and shadowboxer are 2 of the very best and it’s crazy to me that she wrote this album when she was 16/17.

I liked this a lot more than her other one

I had never heard this album before and really enjoyed it. I love her deep strong voice but it is pitchy. A resounding four stars.

++: Sleep to Dream, Shadowboxer, Criminal, Slow Like Honey, Pale September, Carrion +: Sullen Girl, The Child Is Gone +-: The First Taste, Never Is a Promise 8,2/10

Was much more jazzy than I expected! High 3 rounded up

Another new one for me. I've only ever heard the name. I dig it though. She has some Florence and the Machine/ Ingrid Michaelson vibes, but jazzier. Will definitely listen to more from her. I'm really enjoying learning about new (to me) artists with this project.

As a debut from a singer/songwriter it's incredibly sophisticated. Especially when you think she was 17 when she recorded it. The only two I don't like are the Latin-tempoed 'The First Taste', which is like a track on a salsa-class mixtape. Then there's 'Slow Like Honey', which is more like 'wading through treacle' (ammirite?), tipping into laborious dirge at nearly six minutes. It's a strong album, and impressive debut from a precocious talent, with the occasional slumbersome melody.

Favorite Tracks: Shadow Boxer / Criminal / The First Taste / Never Is a Promise Rating: 3.6 Admittedly I didn't fully engage with the lyrics here, but found it overall an enjoyable listening. Piano-driven indie with some jazzy vibes. Excellent, expressive vocals well suited to the music. I only knew the singles going into this.

I really wanna like this but it's gonna take a couple more listens before I really get it

A bit too 90s but good singer/songwriting. 7/10

4.0

Truly an entertaining and enjoyable album from start to finish. Fiona is such a great songwriter. Love the vibraphone and marimba parts. Also, just learned that Van Dyke Parks arranged the strings on Never Is a Promise, that’s pretty cool.

Good album but not my stule

A pleasant listen for sure

It was very good but not my type in miusic

I don’t think you’ll find a debut album more measured, purposeful and creative than this one. There’s probably a couple of skips on here, otherwise I’d give it 5 stars

8/10

Fiona Apple is an enigmatic performer with complex and challenging music but most of the time it works for me. Both Fiona Apple albums on this list are good but I still think When The Pawn… is her best work and alas that’s not on here. Tidal is a strong debut and Criminal stands the test of time.

great pop album, strong vocals and theme, classic girl pop and an amazing debut.

I love the diversity of this album. Some beautiful vocals too.

pretty chill

Самоуглублённая, с нотками серьёзности, поп-музыка. Мне понравилось.

This was pretty nice altogether. I think i heard a better one of hers before, but this was fun from start to end. Mid 4

Leuk

Kende alleen first taste maar de rest is ook heel niceeeee

Oke, alternatief uit 1996 van een, zoals ik lees, nogal opstandige tiener. Maar, het eerste nummer bevalt mij wel. Niet echt mijn stijl, maar wel lekker om te luisteren. Het 2e nummer is heel anders. Rustig, onder begeleiding van een piano. Ik begin heel benieuwd te raken naar de rest van dit album. De piano houdt ook in de rest van het album aan en de nummers voelen steeds iets duisterder ofzo. Steeds iets langzamer. Maar ze heeft een mooie stem en het luisterd echt wel fijn weg. Had wel gehoopt dat de diversiteit wat hoger lag, op begevene moment merkte ik niet eens meer dat er al een ander nummer begonnen was. Het laatse nummer is dan in ene toch wel weer wat anders, lekker basslijntje. Beetje soul bijna. Ik ga dit album een toch wel onverwachte 4 geven. Echt wel volledig buiten mijn stijl, maar waardeer het wel.

At times it feels like the production is doing the heavy lifting and at other times it feels like the production can't get out of its own way. I guess it depends on how you look at it. But her talent is evident and I think her career seems to have borne that out.

Atmospheric alt-pop with a tasteful edge. Came out in the late 90s but doesn't feel anything like stereotypical 90s pop - feels like it would fit right in to something made in the 2020s. Overall a really enjoyable listen.

It's interesting to get this the day after getting Norah Jones. Not that Norah Jones is jazzy like Fiona Apple, but she does play around with it a tiny bit. But comparison wise, Fiona Apple absolutely blows her out of the water. Obviously the two standouts, Criminal and Shadowboxer are amazing. But the rest of the album just has this jazzy, rainy by sunny spring day vibe to is (A vibe that I remember being even more pronounced on her album Extraordinary Machine). Don't really got a ton more to say, just that it's some great jazz pop music.

Cool listen. Started out stronger with the opening track. I wanted more of that energy throughout.

It baffles the mind that an 18 year old could make this record. It all sounds very mature. Apple's voice is phenomenal. She has sultry voice that can convey fury and ire when needed. The melodies feel quite Beatleseque. This is a front-loaded album. The first half is perfect and loaded with hits, whilst the second half has slight dip in quality. There's nothing bad on here, just weaker songs that go on a minute longer than they needed too. Thankfully the final song 'Carrion' pulls everything together and is one of the best songs on the album. Starting out restrained, the song builds up to a thrilling climax when the wailing guitars and strings come in and let the record finish off in style.

I had really only heard "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" from Fiona before this. I love "Fetch the Bolt Cutters". It is a good, strong album with some moments of brilliance. Now I'll need to seek out the albums in between.

I tend to like Fiona Apple from the relatively few songs I've heard before this. In particular I know and like Criminal, which makes sense as it appears to be her highest charting work. It was nice to listen to this album in full, I thought I had at some point but I don't remember the songs all that well so maybe not. I need to listen to 'When the pawn' when I have the time. There was definitely a similar vibes to the songs of this album, which is a compliment if anything, the songs all had a similar backing track, I struggle to describe that. In the song Shadowboxer some of the vocals were reminiscent of 'The Last Dinner Party' whom I also like (I don't know why I put whom, it sounds right). I believe that Fiona Apple typically has some pretty good songwriting but unfortunately I was a little too engrossed in my studies to hear much of the lyrics, at some point I may listen again and get a bit more out of it. As usual I'll complain about my ratings, I feel like I'm harsher now than at the start and its become a lot more difficult for albums to get 5 stars. I'm going to give this a high 4 and see how that sits with me for a while. 80/100 (this could be a 5, who knows)

Never is a promise piano and vocals are great. That one stuck out a lot. Enjoyed it, definitely an album you need to be in the right mood for.

It was great. 4/5.

Fiona Apple is one of those artists that is CRIMINALLY (Get it?!) underrated. Criminal was big when it came out, but I didn't hear too much from her after that until Fetch The Boltcutters, which is also an amazing album. I vaguely recall Paper Bag, but I don't think it was as big as Criminal. I know she's popular, but she's not as popular as she should be. Anyway, this was her debut album at 19 and she wrote all of the music, which is just incredible. I love how her writing is so strong and powerful and confident even with the pain.

The album started off meh, but the more it went on the more I actually started to like it and understand why so many people like it.

Eu amo Fiona Apple, mas nunca tinha escutado um álbum completo do início ao fim. Que experiência boa, meu deus. "Criminal" é incrível.

Fiona!

I enjoyed it and respected it, worthy of 4*

Her voice is great. The music is interesting. Solid

Classic artist and songwriter. Her voice, her lyrics, her harmonies and melodies - all beautiful. 1 song added to playlist.

Fiona’s talent is undeniable. I don’t love piano driven pop music, but this album did a nice job blending in orchestral elements to keep it interesting.

I guess part of being a dude who grew up in the 90s is that I didn’t pay much attention to what women were doing musically in the 90s. So while I’ve been aware of who Fiona Apple is for a long time I’ve never knowingly listened to her music until now, though I do know how influential she is. And yeah, this is great, and that she was nineteen when she recorded this shows what a phenomenal singer and songwriter she is. The loungey/jazzy thing I don’t love, and it sounds very of its time now, and took me a couple of listens to connect with it, but now that I have I will likely revisit this at some point.

I’ve loved Fiona Apple since seeing the ‘Not about love’ video on an obscure music video channel as a young teen and I savour any opportunity to revisit her work. This time this album soundtracked a particularly difficult morning and was just what I needed. It’s not my favourite record of hers but it is brilliant. Kicking off with powerful ‘Sleep to dream’ you know you’re in for a fun ride. My particular favourites were ‘Slow like honey’ and ‘Never is a promise’. She really shows up for all the sullen girls out there and this sullen girl felt inspired, as always, by listening from my bed on a rainy Friday morning.

oh my god what a great album. i've only listened to When the Pawn so I wondered why THAT wasn't on the list. But after listening to this, i get it. if there was only 1 slot for Fiona, Tidal deserved it. It's just beautiful. her voice, the instrumentation just invites a flood of emotions, which was perfect for the train home on a friday night LMAOOO. Shadowboxer a generational song.

I liked a couple of her songs when they came out but hadn’t listened to much of her stuff. Not bad.

Got a bad headache in the middle of listening, but despite it causing me genuine pain this album’s still great. An angrier, more dramatic Norah Jones

Fiona Apple sometimes falls in the same category as like Bjork and Joni Mitchell, which is woman I want to love so much and I think are so badass and cool… but something with their music doesn’t click for me. With that being said, this album surprisingly hit really really good today so I think I’m evolving.

Really nice vocals, some songs weaker than others but pretty great overall.

Favorite tracks: Sleep to Dream, Criminal, Carrion, Shadowboxer A name I knew but never took the time to listen to, what a mistake!

Would probably have given this a 5 as a teen, would give it a high 4 stars now, still like a lot, just maybe not play it on repeat a lot, would also maybe skip the first song.

Luscious and loquacious 3.5

This girl’s always going to be one of my favorite lyricists of all time.

Such a great debut album. The playing was so good. The lyrics were so good. The singles were so good. Just a great album. Criminal still sounds fresh.

Classic 90's vibes

Starts off incredibly strong, stays really good. I love the opening 4 songs, raw but beautiful. Her singing is incredible and hard to believe given her age at the time. The piano and instrumentation is also great. I was surprised to get this just a week after "Fetch the Bolt Cutters". Very interesting to compare the two. Both are really good, but I prefer the later work by a hair. I appreciate the confidence to be experimental gained over time. I'm a bit younger than her, so possibly her more mature songs speak to me at this point in my life. I was also a little too young to appreciate this when it came out, unlike "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" which hit me immediately and hard. If I got served this a year from now with more space from FtBC I'll bet I would give it 5 stars, but I'm unable to avoid a direct comparison and end up at a very strong 4 stars for "Tidal". Still an album that I will listen to many times and always love. Fav - Sleep to Dream, Sullen Girl, Shadowboxer, The First Taste

sleep to dream, realmente tiene un muy buen inicio con el beat. es mi primera vez escuchando a fiona, cuando escuché su voz rompió con este beat que traia la canción y tomo una vibra mas experimental sullen girl realmente no esperaba mucho de la canción pero es tan calmada, el piano de fondo y el outro realmente te cautivan, ni siquiera note que estaba por terminar, una de mis favoritas sin dudarlo shadowboxer se siente la influencia del jazz amigo, su voz encaja tan bien con la vibra de la canción se siente como estar en un bar clandestino de los 20s rodeado de showgirls dando su mejor espectáculo la canción grita cabare criminal, inicia con una energía marcada y fiona suena realmente expresiva, las melodías de la canción cambian constantemente pero no son tan notorios las subidas de tono y hace que encajen tan bien con la energía que trae, es como si buscará el extasis pero sin estallarlo hasta llegar al punto indicado, el outro se siente tan bien hecho como si todo lo escuchado antes fuera solo la construcción para poder llegar a el y disfrutar a fondo de si, slow like honey, que alguien me pase el vino por favor dude 6 minutos, suena prometedor el escenario q puede crear con la vibra tan seductora y misteriosa que presenta, realmente se siente una dulzura suave sutil qué te envuelve pero no te busca empalagar busca atraerte a ella por más the first taste, su voz no busca sonar la mas limpia la canción conserva el movimiento de su lengua al pronunciar, mierda EL CAMBIO DE RITMO ES TAN DIVINO Y COMO ARMONIZA, le añadió tanto brillo a la cancion se siente como estar en el caribe tomando el sol con la brisa y las olas a tu alrededor, los pequeños toques de rock, son tan divinos, es mi favorita hasta ahora the child is gone, triste, fue lo primero q pense con sus primeras notas y su voz melancolía como si estuviera arrepentida o decepcionada de algo solo lo confirman, se siente como estar en un teatro, never is a promise, es llanto con melodías decorando los sollozos de una chica que canta desde lo mas profundo de su alma cada nota tocada en rl piano acompaña tan bien a la voz de fiona emboca tanta tristeza q es imposible no empalizar con la canción pale September lleva una melodia tan ligera y melancólica como si anunciará que el album está por llegar a su fin, tiene un tinte de restropeccion como si mirara dentro de si buscando algo sobre lo que pueda cantar, lo logra pero sabe que esta llegando a su fin carrion, es un adiós en tantos sentidos la canción construye un ambiente donde sientes que habra esperanza pero de pontro se derrumba pero no importa q tratas de reconstruirla solo para que cada caída sea mas dolorosa, es como si cada vez que la música se tornaba suave fiona trataba de contenerse, mantenerse al margen pero al cuando se tornaba mas pesada fiona expresaba su verdadero sentir, se quitaba ataduras para cantar desde lo mas fondo de su pecho está dinámica se observa hasta el final de la canción donde fiona explota y se siente su desesperación por no volver a reconstruir lo perdido solo dejarse llevar y poder sentir es como si todo el album hubiera estado por ese momento. no es lo q suelo escuchar pero realmente valió la pena

Fantastic album. Fiona has a superb voice and meshes perfectly with the jazzy orchestrations behind her. Such a joy to listen to.

3.5

Incredible songwriting and vocal performance accompanied mostly just with driving piano chords. Shadowboxer is my favorite Fiona Apple song.

My typical complaint with lots of indie projects is that they seem to be carried by strong vocal performances, with pretty innocuous and safe instrumentals seemingly relegated to a support role for their front man/woman to perform over. Fiona Apple certainly delivers on the strong vocals, but I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of production I found across the album. To be sure, there's more traditional keys and strings in half these tracks than I care for personally. But, for example the stretch of Criminal, Slow Like Honey, and The First Taste are absolutely loaded with more unique layers like fairly aggressive electric guitars or eccentric drums. What a welcome surprise this was with a genre I typically don't enjoy that much. I was fairly disinterested through the first 3 tracks, resigned to another indie experience where all the songs blend together for me in hindsight. By the time the bluesy notes of The Child Is Gone started hitting, I was looking forward to a re-listen.

Good background music, magical voice, but I don't see myself thinking "oh I should really listen to Tidal now"

Fiona Apple has a great voice. I think I enjoy it most when it's opened up and fully fledged, though the quieter more conversational moments are also captivating. I must make a note to listen to more.

Fiercely wields the piano like a sword - announcement of a unique voice and musical sensibility but sometimes takes itself a bit too seriously for its own good.

slow like honey sooo fire

Top notch stuff though all the songs are not perfect

Enjoyed that! Beautiful album, love all her jazzy rifts. So distinctly Fiona Apple. I knew criminal, but so many other great tunes on the album too

я кабуто нерелизнутые песни ланиты слушаю

I can't believe I never listened to this. The first half is perfect, slows down in the second but still very interesting and cool.

We been knew Fiona tf?

yesss girl

Nice album. A lot of interesting things going on in the songs both musically and lyrically. Definitely an active listen.

I love Fiona Apple. This album is great. She's sharp and has a way with words. She was an angry young woman and I'm here for it. She sounds like nothing else.

Stunning that a 19 year old sang and composed this.

really really enjoyable listen. Really good pacing like powerful in some songs and much more gentle in others. Standouts for me were shadowboxer, The first taste and Carrion. Really good song writing and vocals and a lot of songs have a chord progression near the chorus or in the chorus that scratches my brain in a nice way.

Pleasantly surprising, I had never heard of her before but this album was a great easy listen. Beautiful vocals mixed with nice jazzy piano and bass lines.

Good

Good background music. Giving 90s/00s romcom

So fucking good. I bought this CD when it first came out and before I understood how brilliant she was. Glad to hear it now.

Melodic and impressive

This album still holds up. Sold song writing.

Would probably need to listen again to get a clearer understanding of the album but enjoyed the music.

I liked it much more than I expected, my perception of Fiona Apple is more poetic/arty than music I usually like. This album was really musically compelling and jazzy, though a little meandering sometimes. I wouldn't be surprised if this keeps growing on me.

Pretty good! I enjoyed it

Fetch The Bolt Cutters was my intro to Fiona past any radio play. Love that album, surprised it took until this for me to go back and listen to her first record.

Big fan of her voice, this was my first Fiona Apple album I’ve listened to and I’m sure it won’t be the last

No. 335/1001 Sleep to Dream 3/5 Sullen Girl 4/5 Shadowboxer 4/5 Criminal 3/5 Slow Like Honey 3/5 The First Taste 4/5 Never Is a Promise 4/5 The Child Is Gone 4/5 Pale September 4/5 Carrion 3/5 Average: 3,6 Most of these songs I didn't love right away. But some really had a hidden beauty to them and as they went on got better and better.

Very familiar with this album

Good debut album (1996), especially with impressive given that Apple was only 18 when it was released. Favorite song was Shadowboxer. Of all of her albums, not my favorite, but I enjoyed listening to it nonetheless.

!!

Decent solid album

Very good album

oeeh, vette groove voor Criminal Heel eerlijk gezegd afgedwaald tijdens het luisteren. Betekent wel dat het lekker chill is. Chill om tijdens het koken/eten op te hebben staan. Stem is trouwens erg rustgevend en ergens zelf een beetje grounding. Maakt me helemaal zen. Voel mezelf helemaal in mn mooie appartementje, met al mn spulletjes voor elkaar, sex and the city-stijl, dit te luisteren terwijl ik mn diner maak met mn maskertje op, badjas aan, no worries. God ik wil echt een grote mensen woning (23-12-2025, voor als je dit terugleest) Moet het misschien een keer aandachtiger luisteren want nu ik dit schrijf tijdens Carrion (laatste nummer) hoor ik wel toffe dingen.

I’ve always loved the song Criminal but the whole album is solid.

4.6

very warm and lovely, a nice album to sit and listen to

Really good album.

but surprised that this is the second of two f apple albums on the list! but its damn good... shes the best !!

relaxing!

Big fan of her more modern stuff but this is still a classic

It's not my favorite Fiona Apple - all of her later albums are better in my opinion, but it's still very good.

Great record and, remarkably, this is her debut album. Favourite Track(s): Criminal, Sleep To Dream, Never Is A Promise, Slow Like Honey Least Favourite Track(s): Sullen Girl, Carrion

Nous sommes en 1996 et je suis probablement planqué derrière la caisse du magasin. L'année est étrange, le grunge commence à sentir le sapin, la Britpop sature l'espace médiatique avec ses guerres d'ego ridicules, et au milieu de tout ça, une vague de "filles en colère" déferle sur les ondes. On a eu Alanis Morissette qui hurlait ses tripes dans un cinéma l'année d'avant, mais là, Sony nous balance quelque chose de différent. Une gamine de 18 ans, qui a l'air d'en avoir 14 et la voix d'une chanteuse de jazz de 40 ans qui aurait passé sa vie à fumer des cigarettes sans filtre dans un club enfumé de Manhattan. Fiona Apple et son album "Tidal". Je me souviens très bien de la réception de cet album au magasin. Il y avait ceux qui l'achetaient pour la musique, et il y avait ceux (beaucoup de mecs, ne nous voilons pas la face) qui l'achetaient parce que le clip de "Criminal" passait en boucle sur MTV. Vous voyez duquel je parle : cette ambiance glauque, voyeuriste, filmée par Mark Romanek, où elle a l'air d'une waif sous-alimentée cernée par des mannequins héroïnomanes. C'était l'époque de l'héroïne chic, et Fiona en était l'égérie involontaire. Mais réduire Tidal à cette image marketing un peu crade serait une erreur monumentale. Parce que derrière cette façade de lolita dépressive se cachait une musicienne d'une précocité terrifiante. Ce qui frappe d'entrée de jeu avec ce disque, surtout quand on le remet dans le contexte de mes goûts habituels, c'est son incroyable maturité musicale. On n'est pas dans le rock indé lo-fi mais dans une pop baroque, jazzy, orchestrée, lourde de piano. C'est propre, c'est produit par Andrew Slater, mais c'est surtout habité par une âme ancienne coincée dans le corps d'une ado new-yorkaise. Le morceau d'ouverture, "Sleep to Dream", pose les bases : une basse lourde, une batterie qui claque, et cette voix. Putain, cette voix, c'est du contralto profond, riche, qui ondule entre le mépris et la vulnérabilité. Quand elle balance "I tell you how I feel, but you don't care", on la croit. On est loin des jérémiades adolescentes habituelles car ici, la douleur est ciselée, analysée, et recrachée avec une élégance qui force le respect. Évidemment, il y a "Criminal", le tube, celui qui lui a valu un Grammy. Musicalement, c'est une tuerie, ce piano syncopé, ces flûtes un peu bizarres en arrière-plan, et cette ligne "I've been a bad, bad girl". C'est devenu un cliché instantané, mais réécoutez la structure du morceau. C'est du funk blanc, lent, poisseux, irrésistible. C'est le genre de morceau qui mettait tout le monde d'accord dans le magasin, des fans de R&B aux rockeurs purs et durs. Mais là où l'album m'attrape vraiment, moi le vieux con cynique, c'est dans ses moments les plus sombres. "Shadowboxer" est un chef-d'œuvre de torch song moderne, c'est du cabaret noir. On s'imagine Fiona seule au piano dans une salle vide, avec juste un projecteur sur elle, en train de disséquer une relation toxique avec la précision d'un chirurgien légiste. "Never Is A Promise" est d'une tristesse abyssale, avec ses cordes qui montent et descendent comme une marée de larmes. C'est là qu'on réalise que la gamine ne joue pas un rôle, elle ne "fait" pas la dépressive pour vendre du papier glacé. Elle a ce truc, cette fêlure authentique que l'on retrouve chez les grands écorchés vifs. Alors pourquoi 4 sur 5 et pas la note maximale ? Parce que, avec le recul, "Tidal" souffre parfois d'un peu trop de polissage. C'est un premier album, et on sent que la maison de disques voulait s'assurer que ça passe en radio. Certains arrangements sont un poil trop "adult contemporary" à mon goût, un peu trop sages par rapport à la folie qu'on sent bouillir sous le crâne de Fiona. Elle lâchera vraiment les chevaux sur l'album suivant (le fameux album au titre de 90 mots), où elle enverra valser les conventions pop pour de bon. Mais ici, elle joue encore le jeu, tout en subvertissant les règles de l'intérieur. Cet album est la preuve qu'on peut faire de la musique populaire, accessible, sans prendre l'auditeur pour un con. Les textes sont denses, parfois alambiqués (elle aime bien les mots compliqués, la petite), mais toujours percutants. Fiona Apple en 1996 a réussi à toucher une corde sensible universelle, celle de la mélancolie rageuse. Elle n'était pas dans la pose "Riot Grrrl", elle n'était pas dans la performance artistique à la Björk. Elle était juste là, derrière son piano, à nous dire que la vie, c'est parfois de la merde, mais qu'on peut en faire quelque chose de beau. "Tidal" est un classique des années 90, un incontournable qui a vieilli comme un bon vin et il mérite amplement sa place dans les 1001 albums. Il est le début d'une carrière chaotique, rare et précieuse. Si vous ne devez écouter qu'un seul album de "chanteuse à piano" de cette décennie, oubliez les autres, c'est celui-ci qu'il vous faut. C'est sombre, c'est sensuel, c'est intelligent. Et bordel, quel talent pour une gamine qui n'avait même pas le droit de boire de l'alcool légalement dans son propre pays au moment de l'enregistrement.

amazing that she was only 18 or so. good album

Absolutely nuts that she was 18 when making this album. When I was 18 I was trying coco puffs mixed in coffee (not good btw)

Good stuff. Maybe the songs sound a little similar to each other, but they're all good.

Fiona apple has a great voice and the songs are there, but it noticeably a debut.

Ret fint, jeg skal ihvertfald høre mere. Det er en lille 4er idag.

Det veksler mellem nogle meget fine klavermelodier og et kantet, jazzet indie lydbillede hvor klaveranslagene nærmest slår som en rocktromme. Når man dertil lægge en helt fantastisk vokal får man et ret godt album som jeg har svært ved at finde ud af om er en stor 4er eller om den faktisk fortjener 5 stjerner. Måske albummet genbesøges senere.

Enjoyed that. Imagine I've heard her without knowing before. Recording this at 19 is insane. 4/5.

Fiona Apple is a name you hear a lot of but I personally never took the time to dive into her work. This was a great introduction! I enjoyed pretty much the entire album and want to listen to it again with a more focused ear. It's at times fun and at other times deeply emotional. I can totally see her influence in the acts that would follow. (Looking at you, Regina Spector.) This won't be the last time I listen to Fiona Apple.

This was really really great! I’ve only heard a couple songs here and there. The criminal video is burned into my brain. But this is something else. When the album was finished it started playing another of her albums and I had no problem with that.

Nostalgia factor is pretty high here, but again what she does she does well, and I'm digging some of these songs, so worthy of my digital collection.

Like it.

Good vibes. Her piano playing really complements her singing. Perfect late night enjoy a drink music.

:)

Classic - First half album is 10 out of 10

She released this album at age 18. Eighteen! I was washing dishes at a restaurant for an insane Frenchman and stank of grease and industrial soap after every shift. Oh I’ve wasted my life…

i liked it a lot!

304/1089 - She's out of tune and every song sounds the same, but other than that it's alright.

My first time hearing her work and I’m blown away. Had a great time listening and hopefully more of her work made the list.

8/10

4.0 - Very Good

A rather baffling selection when it comes to Fiona Apple. When the Pawn... is generally viewed as her magnum opus, which I'd be strongly inclined to agree with, but it's nowhere to be found in the 1001 list, with her debut prevailing here instead. That said, Tidal is still an enjoyable listen, however unlike with When the Pawn... I do find my attention wavering at various points as the album advances. This is nowhere near as dextrous or as confident as its successor, but the strong points are very strong indeed. She has a wonderful voice, acting as the vehicle for some very introspective and sentimental lyricism, and the piano arrangements are often delicate, bordering on melancholic, but the album is at its apex when all of its atmospheric elements combine into something grander, louder and generally more memorable.

Can I say that this album was good, but I won’t seek it anymore.? I enjoy her soothing voice and the melody of the songs. I feel like this is a friend that comes into your life for a season and then leaves. I enjoyed the music while it lasted, but I’m good. 1. The First Taste 2. Slow Like Honey 3. Carrion 4. Never Is A Promise 5. Sullen Girl 6. Sleep To Dream 7. The Child Is Gone 8. Shadowboxer 9. Criminal 10. Pale September

Never heard of Ms Apple. This was awesome!