Tidal

I didn't hate it. It was exactly what I expected, except for the absolute saturation of vibraphone. So Much Vibraphone. Now, I like the vibraphone, and it works here, but man, it's all over this record. Still. I could be talked into a 4, but I'm giving it a 3.

really incredible coincidence to get this album in the same week that i'm reading My Dark Vanessa, which frequently references and maybe owes a huge debt to Fiona Apple... so this was the perfect soundtrack for reading. (side note, i know this isn't Goodreads but MDV is AMAZING. such a disturbing relentless mind-blowing read. and the way it weaves in all these other works of art, Lolita, Pale Fire, Robert Frost, Titus Andronicus, Fiona Apple... just. i don't have the words. it's incredible.) all that being said.... i've tried to get into Fiona Apple before and there is just something about her that doesn't fully click with me and it's actually frustrating! i love the idea of her music, of her as an artist, but then i put on one of her albums and i'm just like. ok. this is fine. maybe i'll get it one day. but i've listened to this album twice today, and today is not the day.

I can see the Fiona appeal.

It's much better than most music produced in the same era. Singer/songwriter seems like a thing of the past in the mainstream.

Fiona i sin kjente og kjære singer-songwriter/piano rock-stil. Hun er flink, og det hele er ganske nydelig. Samtidig er det litt kjedelig, og jeg kommer neppe til å tilbringe mye tid med dette albumet i fremtiden. Top 3: Sullen Girl, The First Taste, Sleep to Dream

i lowkey like it

Very Blue

Pretty good

nobody understands her :( seriously.. to me it seems every song is about someone who mistreated, didn't understand her, etc. and lyrics wise we got some deep stuff like: "You'll say you understand You'll never understand" Again not my cup of tea. But I'll rate it 3 stars like every other album that is in my opinion well made, authentic music.

Not really my cup of tea, but a great sounding album, very nice production. The opening track Sleep to Dream is great. I like the slower tracks too.

R&B/soul/jazz flavoured swung instrumentals and piano ballads, between jazzy and rappy fast talking, and all of this does not much for me. I think it is just too much vocals, singing, words for me. The instrumentation is nice, it has a warm analogue quality. The first cut is terrible, the tracks after get better. She is angry, she is feeling, she is hurt, but something about this just doesn;t really land

Fiona fan, but Tidal is good but not great

Enjoyed this. Shadowboxer is excellent

Soulful mostly lower register voiced singer that doesn’t try to stretch too far outside of her range. Lyrics ache and yearn. Songs seem to take their time, unhurried to get where they’re going. Overall, album holds up after 30 years. Nice one to visit but not one i’d think to play

Better than I remember but still just not really my jam.

Trevlig lyssning men det kan väl inte mäta sig med gårdagens album

Stark trea

Vilken debut ändå! Unikt, roligt, sjölvsäkert! Men är det en fyra? Äh, svinstark trea efter ett varv iaf.

Gillar detta också, men kommer inte ifrån att jag saknar det mer råa och experimentella från igår! Stark 3a som kanske hade växt om jag lyssnat en vända till.

130. nice

Esquecível

Fave songs: • Criminal • Slow like honey • The first taste Chilled out, sexy vibes but a bit strange/boring at points 6.5/10

There are some big tunes on here, and I thoroughly approve of the tone and subject matter, but I'm afraid Fiona seems a bit too fond of the dreaded boogie-woogie piano backing to give this my full enthusiasm.

My first deep dive into a Fiona Apple album and... it's fine. Lovely at times. But most of it drifted along without getting my attention. Expected more

Didn’t give it a good shot maybe

Pretty good vibe album, but I don’t see myself coming back to it… maybe ever. Nothing really stood out.

Great voice, can wear you down.

I don't know how I feel about this. It's like one minute I like this and then the next I don't. Sometimes it would even happen mid-song.

Fiona Apple had a great voice but, I was not feeling this album at all.

Ce que j'aime beaucoup c'est que les paroles sont très personelle d'une manière qui n'invite pas du tout à projeter ou s'identifier, c'est toujours son histoire Malheureusement ça me fait pas autant d'effet que je voudrais pour l'instant :'(

When this came out, her videos got a lot of play on MTV. But they all seemed to fall into the category of ‘lady singers who wriggle around on the floor, singing everything unnecessarily provocatively’. It was just like what Jewel and Britney were doing. Boring, undermining, powerless pickme bullshit. So, I never wasted my time listening to her.

Hostestly, I wish I liked it more. I was excited to see this was by Fiona Apple, cause my mom likes her, but I feel like the album fell short. A lot of the songs felt repetitive and had a similar structure. I mean, that's fine, but not what I look for in an album. There was so major differentiation between songs, which can make the album a bit boring at times. I like variety, and when an artist can pull it off it's really enjoyable. I don't think Fiona really executed that for me. I wish there was some kind of climate in her songs, or more string solos accompanied by her vocals. A few of those songs did hit tho, so it's not all bad. Especially the last one, Carrion, that one is good. Fiona's voice with the string instruments definitely brings the album up from a 2 to a 3 for me. Her voice has a nice range which is a plus. And once again, I'm a sucker for classical instruments used in pop music.

Fiona Apple has an amazing voice, there’s no denying that, and a few of the songs on here are fantastic. I bought the CD back in the 90’s based off of them. The album as a whole gets too somber and brooding though. You have to be in a certain mood to fully appreciate it. It was still an enjoyable listen and I have that CD sitting in a Rubbermaid tote down in my basket somewhere, along with the rest of my 90s/2000s collection.

This album is a little on the slow side for me, but ultimately there’s some good music happening here. Fiona Apple has a great voice and a couple of the tunes were catchy enough to draw me in for a closer listen. Far from being on my list of favorites, but this was enjoyable.

The singles are the strength of this album which meanders for too long in the same mournful wallow.

"If you ain't Fiona Apple I dont give a rats ass." Take that Barbara Streisand! Sorry, had to do it. Now on to my review. Better than I remember, Criminal and Sleep To Dream are fantastic songs. Fiona has an immpressive vocal range which shines in spots, but she falls back on the moody and breathy voice on many of the tracks, which without the dynamic arrangements of Criminal and Sleep To Dream fall pretty flat for me. That said, it's still a decent album.

Me aburrió un poco, pero me gustó mas la musica, mas melodica, suave, like it

I own and love the song Criminal. I’ve loved that song since this album came out. I also know and like Sleep to Dream and Shadowboxer. The rest of the songs were all pretty boring. They all kind of sound the same.

Not bad. I think id like this if I was in more of a 90s mood

I liked Fiona Apple's debut album a little, but I should have liked it more at least on paper but outside of 'Criminal' which is a great song with a hella sweaty sexy video LOL and to a lesser extent, Slow Like Honey which is also pretty smokey good - I just liked Tidal OK. This seems like an album aimed directly at girls who wear reading glasses to appear smarter, read Sylvia Platt, date men old enough to be their fathers, love Billie Holliday and order the most expensive thing on the menu on dates for no greater reason than because they can. Wait! Did I just describe myself at 19? Hey, Nineteen! I do like any Steely Dan album better Tidal not that you asked. So, yeah this should be in my Top 100 albums of all time all things considered but it's not but I like it a great deal more than her later albums (her entire back catalog, really) which I don't like even a tiny little bit. I hated 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters' oh, God was that a difficult album to get through, let me tell you! Her green eyes look pretty on the album cover of Tidal and batshit crazy on the album cover of 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters' and red or just not there on her other albums. I have the single for Criminal (on cassette) and her eyes look awesome in fact she looks like what I pictured her looking like based on how she sounded on the radio the first time I heard her Pretty obvious what Sony was going for and on a marketing level Sony was likely right- she could have been bigger and sold millions more records if she had used her looks to get ahead but to her credit, she wanted to let the music make or break her and that's pretty admirable for a teen girl (pretty admirable for anyone)- I 100% would have listened to Sony & posed naked on the album cover of her second album (When the Pawn...) but I'm shameless when it comes to getting my way just like that TV show on HBO. Euphoria, I think with Sydney Sweeny and a bunch of other pretty people being drama queens (and kings) and having hot pretty sex all the time. The It girl of the mid 1990s could be accused of cosplaying a sultry torch singer in some wonderful old film noir blast of cinematic poetry but not by me as I think to an extent we all cosplay pretty much from early childhood to about 15 minutes before we expire in our comfy death beds. All right, Mr. Dimery, I'm ready for my close-up.

definitely feels more unpolished than when the pawn. female rage has been an interesting theme of exploration yesterday. Watched forbidden fruits, was much more a fan of this album than the movie. Fiona Apple is a legend, this as her first album is a solid beginning

mid songs but the songs that were good were genuinely like 9 out of tens the rest of the songs were like mid or boring or slop

Quite good

More more of a jazz influence than I was lead to belief by the only single I knew from this album. Definitely still has that 90s angst to it, but I found it much more low key and relaxing than I expected. Criminal

Enjoyable listen. Thought the instrumentation was top class- piano was played really well and the drum beats matched the feel of the songs well. However, a lot of the tracks were quite similar and I think the strong start lost momentum with a lot of quieter tracks. Still solid and a nice album to listen to, but nothing special.

A couple of her greatest tracks reside on this record, but the sound is a bit unfocused overall here. Am I supposed to feel sorrow? Angry? Braggadocious ambivalence? I like Fiona's style when it's more well-defined.

Some track are kinda good, others not so, kinda worked for the radio. Not my cup of tea, but impressive to some extent

Good debut album with strong staying power. Knew most of the songs-but never listened the whole album.

Cool

I liked what I could hear over the concrete mixer

Jazzy and soulful with some nice songwriting to boot. Reminds me of Alanis Morissette. Beneath the smooth facade lies pain and heartbreak (3.5).

This is good. Like the arrangements and Ms Apple's voice. It's a little laid back for most days, but ⭐⭐⭐

Never heard of her, sounded like generic pop. If this album was a color it would be beige.

Gut

have loved 21st-century Fiona for a long time now, so was very happy for the opportunity to go back to the beginning! i know people love this one, but to me, it's very much her first record and she was very young! stunning voice as always, and the run of tracks from Sullen Girl to Slow Like Honey is pretty inarguably great, but a lot of the others go on too long, and the jazz influence on display here is a little stale compared to what would come later. always listenable, always beautifully sung, just very much her first record

Fiona has a really good voice, but there's a quality to it that doesn't vibe with me, not sure what it is, but it's almost monotonous. I did kinda enjoy this album, but I'm a sucker for piano and there's quite a lot of piano backing. However, it did get pretty boring. The album is nearly an hour long and there's only a couple of tracks that stand out as different in terms of tempo and atmosphere. I'd maybe have gone for a low 4 if I liked Fiona's voice, it's not a bad album, but as a singer-songwriter album I think the voice is the most important aspect, so I'm going to go with a 3.

Much better than I thought it would be. The one big song, but the rest were pretty chill and bluesy.

Solid rhythm and mood throughout, with her slightly shaky vocals adding character; “First Taste” is the clear standout for me.

I had only heard Criminal before. It’s ok but not amazing.

This sounds like somebody in a vulnerable state, at an open mic bar with a band, half drunk and half medicated, trauma dumping on the audience. There's a lot of pain and anger there. Even though sometimes the songs sound too happy for the lyrics, they are impactful and serve her voice and delivery really well. Good stuff altogether.

3,1/5

1996. Great debut album by Fiona, a well acclaimed 90's album with heart and a depth of story and lyric. Overall pleasant to listen through.

Musically interesting. Very beautiful. But somehow it just doesn't capture me. I don't know what it's missing. It's not bad at all, but it's just somehow forgettable.

Well Fiona has managed to make a pretty lengthy career out of awkward sad girl. This is not my vibe as the kids say but I do recognize that quality of both the music and lyrics on several of the tracks. Specifically Shadowboxer, Criminal and although the song is a little slow, I was taken by the quality of Never Is A Promise. The record goes into sleep mode for me after that track. I am certainly not the demographic for this record at any point in my life. I get it. Really. Music is about connecting with the songs on some level and then being rewarded intrinsically for making that connection. Teen girls found a way to make this album a group conversation and reinforce the ties that bind. For me, this would have been a lady jam in the movie White Chicks. Nothing against Fiona or any of the other similar acts of varying levels of angst driven balladeers such as Alanis, KD Lang, and the rest of the Lilith fair homegirls. It’s just not me and it will never be. Certainly, not in the Top 1001 albums I should hear before I die. And just so we are clear - I listen to every word and note of every record in this challenge. This is a serviceable record but overall rather lifeless. 3/5

Zachary Female singer slop and I love it and I eat it up! I am stuck between a 3-4 I love the vocal melodies you can hear imogen heap and caroline polechek and Dido and I love it all. These love songs and empowerment Never is a promise with the violin and piano just beautiful and it is poetry in motion. I will be listening to this and now finally diving into fiona apple.

its alright, but still not my taste, her second album i got

The second album is more my style

Not familiar with this artist or album but pleasantly surprised and want to hear more

Good album. Lots of known songs. Would enjoy falling asleep to it.

Sounds like the Norah Jones era

Solid album, great to put on in the background.

Well crafted maybe not 100% my thing

Not breaking through for me, but talented

3.5

Standouts Sleep to Dream Criminal

I'm enjoying this well enough even if I'm having a hard time placing it. Some tracks are a bit much "soft singing over plinking piano". 3

Deep and rich, and soothing. There is so much layered in and interesting to these songs.

better than i thought it would be. her raw vocals are good and i like the understated piano and melodies. not sure that i will go back to this album a lot, but glad i listened to it

Fiona Apple's “Tidal” is a singer-songwriter album characterized by alternative vibes that are typical of the 90s. This makes it sound familiar to me without being particularly striking—for people my age, it's probably easy listening. There's not much more to say about it; for me, “Tidal” is okay, in the sense that it's average.

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Sullen Girl, Criminal This album was decent enough, but it never really hit any sort of exceptionally high note for me. It's pretty middle of the road adult contemporary. With the exception of maybe one or two tracks, everything sort of blended together and felt monotonous. Tracks sort of meander around and then end. To be clear, I express no dislike of what I heard, but the album will most likely fade out of my thoughts, having left no serious, lasting impressions. It reminds me of (what limited exposure I have to) Sia, just without the same level of pep. It's fine.

This was a decent album, I really only knew of criminal but this whole album was decent

Enjoyed the singles, it's clear why Criminal got so popular as it was the only one I had heard before. Her piano skills make the album work I think and her goals are good and emotional, probably a little "rambling" for my tastes.

I wish every song on this album was Paper Bag instead. It was fine.

Pretty good. Like Sarah McLaughlin or Norah Jones with a bit more of an edge. I can see how she would've thrived in the '90s.

5/10

I got this on exactly the right day for me personally. I have a raging headache and I would have bet any kind of music would be too much for me, but Sleep to Dream, the first track, instantly clicked with my energy today. Fiona Apple would be the perfect hangover, sick day, COVID isolation, heartbreak, or lazy day music. It would be worth dumping your boyfriend just so you could drive around at night crying and listening to Tidal.

Nice

Pretty good but meh

Pretty good

Des étoiles pour la voix et la vibe de Fiona. Mais la musique a pas grand chose de spécial et la prod est un peu dull. Elle a du meilleur stock que ça.

hmmm what is this? the tin can percussion is a vibe hmmmm sad girl indie? move like honey--oh real slow never is a promise--nice harmonies going on with the background vocals. the string section, too. pale september--good lyricist carrion--nice crescendo final verdict: it's slow, it's sad, the instrumentals & vocals work well together to create the intended atmosphere. it's balanced. i probably won't listen to it again. 3/5.

Pretty impressive she was a teenager when this came out. Shadowboxer and Criminal are both very good songs.

Good dinner music. Jazzy and easy to listen to. Recognised one of the songs, which I like.

Her hit songs are awesome - the rest is a bit sad

Har ikke hørt så veldig mye på Fiona Apple tidligere. Likte dette nok til at det får en god rating, men ikke nok til at jeg vil høre særlig på det igjen.

Chill vibes, easy to listen to on the bus

Decent album. Highlighted by Criminal and Sleep To Dream.

This album was fine, but not memorable to me.

It’s good at being what it is but it doesn’t really resonate with me. She’s a great singer and I like the aesthetic, but there’s something about the way it’s mixed and its overall sound I just don’t like. I would give it a 3.5 if I could but I can’t give it a 4

Pretty great!

sometimes good, sometimes boring

Some interesting songs here. Not likely to listen to again though

Nice. I can see the appeal.

This album in 1996 anticipates everything all the nowadays so called megastars do offer. Emotions without emotions, drama without drama, energy without energy - a good production but blend and in total a bit lame! Credit for that. Nonetheless I prefer her to all the others! 2,5

Nice!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amazing lyricism but I just wasn’t that hooked

Interesting. Not heard before but would listen again.

First time listening to her, pleasantly suprised. The album is very lyrical and her voice is enjoyable. The sound just doesnt click with me unfortunately.

I didn’t particularly enjoy the sound of this album, however I can appreciate just how good how some of the lyrics are for example on Sleep to dream, even the vocal range on this track is seriously impressive. Also Fiona was only 18 when she wrote this entire album which again, is very impressive. The soft jazz works really well but it’s just not for me.

She is a super-talented vocalist who deserves the praise she has. It comes off as super powerful, really coming from herself and her emotions, which adds to the significance of this album. However, I'm just not really a big fan of this whole piece. Her vocals, while being super talented, aren't what I appreciate in a singer for some reason. 100% deserves to be here though.

This was an album where in the middle I went “oh THAT song” when I heard criminal. It’s pretty good, although to be very honest I prefer Fetch the Bolt Cutters as far as Fiona Apple albums go. It’s all relatively similar, with nice melodies

I should like Fiona better than I do. She has a great voice and really like Criminal but just didn’t make it to 4 stars for me and I’m note sure why.

Good in parts but not my favourite by Fiona. The bolt cutters is still number 1 for me

Melodic, angsty, enjoyable

Meh. Not for me. And what is that album cover photo??

As a Joni Mitchell stan, I feel like I should love Fiona apple too but it’s missing something for me

Too complicated for background listening

solid but vocally in cohesive at times. first half delivered. 3.5/5

Some songs were good, others dragged on.

Fiona Apple was 19 when Tidal appeared, but it transmits an unexpected maturity and it’s pretty ballsy. The songs flow purposely and with direction. She sings with a voice that is both honest and a little damaged by experience. She’s got stories she needs to tell, and isn’t afraid of sharing truths. Musically, her piano does most of the heavy lifting. It’s not flashy of frilly but provides a suitable vehicle for her words. Her songs, though often themed around relationships, aren’t romanticised and don’t shy away from conflict. If that all sounds a bit too earnest, there’s no shortage of lighter moments to soften the edges. 7/10

Unexpectedly pleasant - she has an excellent voice and the melodies were lovely.

Very Sarah McLaughlin but NOT, surprisingly jazz injected sounds onto an alternative? album. Unique in its own way but not so up my alley.

Haven't hear this in quite a while! ★★★

I can vividly picture the Fiona Apple fan - grunge girls and thoughtful bros of that era. And while I wasn’t a fan per se, I always admire her for her “This world is bullshit…” quote.

Very talented, solid first album.

Great voice but mostly didn't speak to me emotionally.

some of it was good, some of it felt repetitive. quite disappointed considering I had big expectations, but nonetheless musically it was quite alright

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would

I like the style

One thing this list has made me realize is that in my past, I’ve found albums I’ve absolutely loved but I’ve never followed up with that artist to dig into the rest of their work. Fiona Apple is a prime example- I adore “Pawn”- I think it’s one of my favorites of all time. But I’ve never heard Tidal all the way through- just the singles! What the hell am I doing? That being said- Tidal is amazing- for the A side. After that first handful of tracks, the melodies dry up and the tempos drop and it just all kind of mushes together. I just can’t give it more than THREE STARS

Pretty good.

Pleasant but not very memorable

not a huge Fiona Apple fan either!!

6 of 10 songs are singles?! Cripes, lady! Though I only know Criminal sort of. This is a solid listen. Kind of a jazz vocal album, but also having that mid-90s groove going on.

Nearly a 4

Never really spun this one, though Criminal, and especially the accompanying video, was an especially eye-opening experience for me when it came out... Not bad, very lounge vibe, great voice.

I always find myself judging single female artists against jagged little pill, this certainly isn’t in the same league. To be fair it wasn’t a bad album to listen to. I only had one play so didn’t appreciate the lyrics too much. Will definitely give it another go

This album grew on me as I went further into the album, i like it! The only song I knew of Fiona’s was her singing with Johnny Cash on “Father and son” many years ago

p781. 1996. 3 stars. Strong debut, 90s singer-songwriter with decent lyrics and good vocals. Points deducted for a lot of tracks sounding the same and outstaying their welcome.

Too much piano, no guitar! It wasn't bad, though.

Back to my nostalgic 90s. A couple of good bangers besides Criminal.

3/5 fav song : criminal

Tidal is an album full of emotional intensity and obvious talent, but it often feels heavier than it needs to be. Fiona Apple’s voice is expressive and distinctive, and there is no doubt she means every word she sings. The album wears its feelings very openly, sometimes to its benefit, sometimes to its detriment, creating a listening experience that can feel intense but also a bit relentless. What holds it back for me is how serious and inward-facing it is almost all the time. The arrangements are tasteful but fairly restrained, and the songs tend to sit in a similar emotional space, circling frustration, heartbreak, and self-examination without much variation in tone. Individual tracks have strong moments, but taken as a whole, the album can feel emotionally crowded, as if it is constantly insisting you sit with its feelings whether you are ready to or not. In the end, Tidal feels like a strong debut rather than a fully realised statement. There is clear potential here, and flashes of brilliance that hint at greater depth to come, but it does not quite sustain its impact across the full runtime. I respect the honesty and the performances, but it does not consistently pull me back.

This record is not bad but the mood is too sad for me. There is not a single happy song to be found here.

3/5 fav song: the first taste I have actually listened to this before, and tbh after listening to it for a while I just got a bit sick of hearing her voice. I would have to be in the right mood to listen to it. the first taste is 100% a stand out song though!

was more for the sake of proving myself; telling people from my past something. And to also try to get friends for the future.

Litt Tanita Tikaram ish. Bare ikke like melodisk eller fengende

Mostly enjoyed. Forgive me, but I feel as though she leans towards being slightly flat?

chic

bellino

Never heard of her, but it is a lovely album. Shadowboxer is my favorite, also like The Child is Gone.

Correcto

Before Fiona Apple was annoying

It's a debut. Good but just shy of great. You really get a sense she would soon go on to do better and I'm willing to explore a bit deeper.

cool (3.5) fav? sleep to dream

Love a bunch of these songs but some are a bit repetitive.

A beautiful voice with warmth and lyrics with a decent amount of creativity. Not 100% sure middle-aged white man is the target audience though so I'm probably underappreciating this.

not sure about Fiona she seems to be all over the place musically nice voice

Favorite songs: Sleep to Dream, Shadowboxer, Criminal

Day 2. I guess I'm just going through the singer songwriter pianists. Gotta say, First Taste is a bit... embarrassing. The sequencing on this record is a bit bizarre as well. Seems to alternate between upbeat and dirges. Not her best record. Highlights: Criminal, Pale September, Carrion

Just by popping up as my album for today, 4 distinct melodies exploded in my brain like reanimated corpses bursting through the soil. This is the album a prodigy makes when they need a few more years of life experience and the right producer in order to hit home runs instead of just doubles and triples. She would get both with her next record 'When the Pawn...'. With a couple of exceptions, the sharp birfurcation between overt pop songs and sultry torch ballads makes for a confusing listening experience. The former really work for me (with the exception of 'The First Taste') and the latter, not so much (with the exception of 'Never is a Promise'). It's hard to know what mood I'm supposed to be in to immerse myself in this album because the two presented feels are so different, but what wins out inevitably are the long-winded and often sleepy ballads. It’s all worth if for those 4 songs that hit, though. Favorite song: Never is a promise

I liked it, but wouldn't bother to revisit it. Not really my style.

I need to sit with this more. Obv love Fiona Apple.

This feels SO 90s

Quite good but not my fav of hers. Dragged a bit for me on this listen

good but didnt stick out to me. might need to give it a second listen with more attention.

First listen: very vibey, some good songs and some skippable. I really like her unique vocals. Overall the vibe reminds me of a smoky piano bar. Songs I liked most: Sleep to Dream, Shadowboxer, Carrion

Shadowboxer sounded like it would be a montage song for a hallmark movie where the main lady doesnt end up marrying a christmas tree farmer but does leave her CEO boyfriend and reconnects with her friends in NYC. Very Fiona Apple but the whole album kinda felt the same.

It was fine, but nothing amazing. This would likely be slightly below a 3, but I'm rounding up to a 3.

generic versoin of janelle monaet/bjork

This will be short. I spent most of the album on a train working out how to deface some racist graffiti. Nothing on here really took my attention away. Perfectly nice but it just washed over me. A bit too slow.and jazzy in parts.

i knew and liked criminal, so i was kind of expecting more from the album than what i got. still good, but didn’t hook me.

I really wanted to like this. I got a bit obsessed with fetch the bolt cutters after it was on this list, but this one didn't capture me in the same way. Similar vibes and sound, but not as cutting maybe. Oh well.

Criminal is a fantastic song.

Gret record - "Criminal" remains a standout single. One of the strangest performers I've ever seen live - spent 3/4 of the show hiding under her piano.

I’m sorry I missed this when it was released. Incredible work for a debut. Sophisticated beyond her years, but trying too hard

Meh. Just ok. If I had a 90s themed cafe I'd play this in the background

Overall vibe: Jazzy Alanis Morissette circa Jaggad Little Pill Standout Tracks:  - Sullen Girl - Slow Like Honey - Shadowboxer Replay? Yes, to soak it all in   Notes:  The first track immediately grabbed my attention. Oooh a bluesy, soulful Alanis Morissette? I could picture myself on a solo Friday night with a glass of wine/smoking a j & making pasta. I only hope the lovers of modern acts like Olivia Dean have the good fortune to stumble across Fiona Apple. Perhaps this album would’ve had more staying power/repeat power for me if I was the level of clinically depressed over a man I’d been earlier this year/last year but now I’m just depressed. Not even over a man. I think there will be definitely be songs that hit my repeat like Sullen Girl, Shadowboxer and Slow Like Honey. Can’t wait to see how her other albums on this list compare. Very enjoyable and deserving of a spot on the list for sure. 3.5

Cool album. Fiona Apple has a real talent for channeling angst, uncertainty, and anger into music. I was only really familiar with Criminal; my favorite discoveries off this album were Sleep to Dream and Never Is a Promise.

I disliked the production and the sound of it quite a bit. I think maybe I was not in a mood, but maybe I'll come around it later. If I could I would have giver 2.5

Yeah, nah, she’s fine, for sure. But that’s all, just fine.

This album sounds good, but in such a textbook style, like the composer just found the simplest and commonest aesthetically pleasing music aspects and wrote that. The singing was good though

this was cool, i'm really growing to like Fiona Apple, and I definitely feel cooler and more mysterious for having listened to this album..

Very pleasant and relaxing

I like the production and the beats but it's a bit of a miserable album's not for me

Nice song

Étonnamment sympathique.

Well, it was okay-ish. I heard of her before, but I can't recall anything released by her. It didn't connect with me, and if you're amazed that she wrote that at 18, Morissette's Jagged Little Pill was recorded when she was merely 20.

Ily fiona, but this aint it

Choosing Tidal over When The Pawn .. is a CHOICE. Tidal is a perfectly fine debut album that showcases Apple's gorgeous voice, but it's an album where she's still finding her feet. Tidal is a 3 but When the Pawn .. would be a straightforward 5, no contest.

It's okay but I didn't find it held my attention.

I like the slower songs, not so into the more poppy ones. Was alright, infinitely better than fetch the bolt cutters, can't stand that album.

Super sensible!

Pretty nice

Meh

Agree with Harness again. The first few songs were pretty good. A bit of variety but it meanders into pleasant but unnoteworthiness.

I wouldn't be against listening to it again. Started off well and faded

Pretty good. Nothing crazy.

really solid. Was nice to listen to while working. Idk if i'll ever go out of my way to listen to this album again tho.

Pretty decent singing

I'd not heard of Fiona Apple before - the album starts of strong but then the tracks become hard to differentiate.

This was pretty cool. I enjoyed the vibe and it sounded great, Fiona’s vocal performances were sublime!

Some of the production is quite dated and it does go on a bit long, but it is a remarkable album for a 18-year old to release. There are a lot of things to like about the musicianship and songwriting but I am not sure it is one I will revisit as it didn’t connect with me in the way Little Earthquakes did.

More had been talked about regarding Fiona Apple’s legacy of late (particularly since the release of ‘fetch the bolt cutters’) but something about doesn’t connect with me as much as it might others. The songs are good enough but I don’t find her voice is powerful or agile enough to cut through some of the music and the lyricism is lost as a result.

Nothing against Fiona but this list is crap. The second album by her on this list and still no Television, no X, very little attention to punk unless it is NYC based. That said, her voice and angst is warm and welcoming.

Dark and moody, but enjoyable enough.

I like the instruments, especially the piano. The production was great throughout but as for the singer’s voice…not a fan tbh. Too deep for what the lyrics and music is asking for. But there were some tunes I thought were all right. Namely 'Sleep to Dream' and 'Shadowboxer'.

She's got talent but this ain't for me. I'm just not the audience I dont think.

Ein solides Debütalbum, das mit emotionaler Tiefe und Apples markanter Stimme punktet. Songs wie „Criminal“ und „Shadowboxer“ zeigen ihr Talent für introspektive Texte und jazzige Arrangements. Doch trotz der lyrischen Stärke fehlt es dem Album an musikalischer Vielfalt und echten Überraschungen. Die Stücke wirken stellenweise zu gleichförmig, und nicht jeder Track bleibt im Ohr.

There were a few good surprises in this album, specially Slow Like Honey, but not enough to give it 4 stars

Qué decir. No es lo mio. Igual muy bien hecho. Nota: 3.4

This is #day450 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I'm revisiting this one after watching Rick Beato's recent interview with Mike Elizondo. Now, this is a very, very '90s singer-songwriter record, albeit with plenty of influences from earlier decades: jazz, blues, soul, and whatnot. As before, I'm still not a fan of the vocal style, but I can't deny the instrumentation or just how the whole thing sounds. Let it be a 3 out of 5 this time around. Looking forward to #day451.

Background music. 3/5 Highlights: Criminal Carrion

Beautifully performed with deep lyrics. But it’s a bit too long for me without much variety. Each song could be about a minute shorter and you wouldn’t lose anything.

I wish I had more to say, but I don't. This was like a 3.45. Better than The Band, worse than early U2.

Criminal is a wonderful, 5-star track, and Carrion is pretty good too, and I like her voice -- but most of the rest of the album doesn't grab me.

Enjoyable album. Thought the instrumentation was very good. Not sure if there's much replayability for me

Album 41/1001 "Every addict should just get locked in a private movie theatre with Q.T. and P.T.A. on coke, and they’ll never want to do it again" ~ Fiona Apple 🍎 🍏 Favourite song: Shadowboxer 👥🥊 Honourable mention: Criminal 🥷 Sleep to Dream 🛌💭 Sullen Girl  😔👧 The Child Is Gone 👧🧳 Pale September ⬜️🗓

Wasn’t sure what was expecting but it wasn’t this. Sultry, smooth but angry. Enjoyed it to be fair but nothing memorable stuck out particularly on one listen

I'm beginning to think (since I haven't actually looked into it) that there might have been some sort of feminist counter-culture movement happening in NYC during the mid-to-late 90s 🤔🤔🤔. Only a theory though... I think a lot of the lyricism goes over my head, to be completely honest. I did enjoy The First Taste and I think Miss Apple's vocal performance is quite good. It may be little too NYC-core for my taste, though.

7 Ya pretty cool not bad! I would have preferred Fiona orange thlugh

Tidal by Fiona Apple I’ve spent a lot of my life thinking Fiona Apple and Rilo Kiley were the same. Shadow boxer is a bop. Criminal is a song I know! Slow like Honey feels like it could be playing in the bar scene of a 1950’s noir movie. Peak jazz singing. The First Taste sound like a white lady’s take on making Sade’s music We followed this up with some of her more contemporary material. I do feel like her later stuff is more fleshed out, a bit more unique, and she does find “her” sound. But this album felt like she was trying on a lot of different hats in search of that sound. I really liked all the variation and the fun that came with that.

Die Musik gefällt mir, aber der Gesang ist gar nicht meins!

was one of my favorite albums from the 90's

Great play among the genres, with some downright groovy tracks and thoughtful. I just don't like Apple's singing voice.

This is my second go with Fiona Apple, and I much preferred this to the first album overall - especially the first half. I felt myself zoning out as the album went on, as the songs were still too long and the lyrics were still a bit too wanky.

I really enjoyed that first song. Worth revisiting. The next two went to dull, followed by another hit, then more drag. I like her voice when it strains a bit, but find the more pure moments dull.

pretty good, poor gal seemed pretty unhappy

*Wish I could give this a 3.5 *She has a great voice but I wish more tracks stayed a little faster with the temp and beat behind it...the first track is great and I was hoping for more like that *Probably would appreciate this more after multiple listens

My estrogen levels went up a lot. She's great, but I like Tori Amos's crazy lyrics better.

I have a friend who's a huge Fiona Apple fan, and I know she still has a hugely devoted cult following. She has a great voice, and her whole thing works, but it doesn't do much for me. (Although my 20-year-old self was a fan of the "Criminal" video, as were many straight dudes).

Great find. Bits of Tori Amos, PJ Harvey and Alanis Morrisette but quite clearly her own amalgamated style.

Enjoyed it, decent and had some beautiful sounds and vocals.

Some good songs in here (I liked shadow boxer) and there’s a blend of different feels/genres. If I could give 2.5 stars, I would.

This was certainly way better than her newest album, I was surprised by some parts because they were really great... BUT, I am sorry, I wanted to give it a 4 but I'll stick with 3 star rating, at least for now. As a whole it wasn't that interesting and the previous Fiona Apple album I've heard unfortunetaly still left me quite a negative taste in my mouth that Tidal was not able to fully wash out, which makes my opinion on this record kindaaa blinded and maybe even stupid but hey, 3/5 is still "hey, I enjoyed it"!

What a talented badass she was at 19! Fierce album.

Soulful vocals over various genres of piano-based music (some jazz, rock, soul). Like a better version of Adele. Or older version of Regina Spector. Some hip-hop style beats. Much better than the other of her albums I listened to. Criminal is a good song, great ending section. Latin elements on The First Taste. Album is much more varied than other one on this list. Best track - Shadowboxer, Criminal 3.5 stars, almost 4 but it's just not my style

I like it. It sounds a lot like Mitski, but I think I like the poetry and imagery Mitski uses more. And some of the songs started to blur from one to another.

Cover 7 I think this is her most accessible album, althrough it's pop jazz, which was never really popular (minus this album and anything Norah Jones). In any case, thematically, her most neutral album (less overt feminism). But not her best (unless feminism hurts your feelings). For that, I prefer Fetch the Bolt Cutters. Or When the Pawn..

Would have been 4 but it suffered from classic 90s CD issue of not culling some fillers and as a result the first half is the hangers and the last half fillers.

Vahvaa laulantaa

Very mixed feelings about this one. Never explored her music before and was excited to do so. Started off great, but then boredom took over, and 3/4 in I thought it was great again, then meh again. I thjnk I actually like it better than 3 stars but it was the wrong day to listen to.

Not necessarily my thing (cue In Bruges), but I do enjoy when the instrumentation branches out beyond the piano. That said, this is undoubtedly impressive as a debut album from a 19 year old.

Great debut album. These songs sound ao polished for being written by a teenager. Very interesting blend of alanis morissette and nora jones energy. Also very glad to finally get a female voice on here again. However im missing a few banger songs to rate this higher than that.

I didn't really want to listen to this at first. I didn't really like it in the 90s. But listening to it with a fresh ear, it is absolutely incredibly impressive, especially including her age. The maturity of it is really breathtaking, and the production choices and instrumentation are awesome. Her vocals are actually my least favorite part, I find her singing in her low register to not be so great... but I can appreciate this album for its production, and the songwriting for its preternatural maturity. Some of these songs aren't so great... The First Taste, that's a no from me dog.

Day 38 Great voice, can see why this album is so popular, amazing she was so young writing this. Not entirely my cup of tea 6/10 Highlights Sleep to Dream Criminal

Great! Nice listen right before bed. Calm peaceful. Kinda sad vibe, but I like that. "Days like this I don't know what to do with myself" - Sullen girl Lots of piano too. Raw(?) vocals. Interesting. 6/10

I really enjoy her voice. ‘Criminal’ is a great tune. Don’t love some of the ballads quite as much. Solid, especially for a teenager.

non mi fa impazzire, da riascoltare

Un bell’album da ascoltare in sottofondo. Non mi ha impressionato peró non è nemmeno brutto

solidissimo album pop rock, fiona apple non si smentisce mai anche se non è il mio album suo preferito. brano preferito Criminal

Started out strong, kinda lost me towards the end ngl. But for a debut album, this is phenomenal. Gonna dive more into her music (because tbh I've never really heard her stuff before, just have always heard of her). This album feels like the late 90s/early 2000s in the best way possible.

A great voice and some amazing songs 3/5

3.7 cool vibes good voice

Generelt et virkelig behageligt album.

3.5/5

Interesting voice but a bit whiney. Enjoyed the grooves. I've heard other stuff so knew the sort of thing to expect.

Fairly quintessential '90s femme indie rock. Not really something I'm going to actively put on very often, but also not something I'm likely to skip if it comes up.

Kuuntelin pari kertaa aamulla ja opiskellessa, oli kyl ihan hyvä. Kuuntelen varmaan jatkossakin aina silloin tällöin :)

The opening track reminds me a little of Billie Nomates, which suggests she’s definitely been an influence. By the same token I can hear touches of Kate Bush on ‘Never is a Promise’, which is the standout track for me. Not a bad album but not outstanding

😄😢

Кілька заходів в мене було у музику Фіони Еппл і жоден не закінчився успіхом. Tidal аналогічно.

Cool a lot like Natalie jinju. Pleasant but the sound got old, kinda repetitive. Sounded like 2000s pop.

Good

Curioso. Me gustó

Never heard of this artist before so it was a pleasant surprise. The stars are for the beautiful voice I really enjoyed listening, unfortunately the songs are pretty forgettable.

Mellow yet powerful.

3.5

D Fiona Öpfel, Side-Project vom Steve Jobs, macht ganz hübschi musig. Paar lieder dezwüsche sehr guet pässlet, over-all aber biz zu herzig. 3 system updates

Always forget what a great voice she has and I’ve never listened to the album, but that one was pretty good

Edgy and melodic.

Amazing voice and solid album

I get it—Fiona Apple is great. Her voice is beautiful, her lyrical craftsmanship is sharp, and the production—on this album and everything else I’ve heard—is ingeniously polished. But for whatever reason, I never get hooked. The highlight of this album for me was the pedal steel slides, though I’m admittedly a sucker for that shit. Maybe one day I’ll be in the right mood and her prose will hit me like a ton of bricks and I'll be hooked (hooks is what this is all missing). Once again, today just wasn’t that day.

Можно иногда послушать под меланхоличное настроение. Если внимательно слушать - довольно заунывно. 6 из 10.

En lyssning in var frågan om Fiona skulle orka kravla sig över till en 2:a. Låtar dom inte satte sig och en störig röst (låtsasbas?). Beslutade att ge henne en lyssning till, nu mer koncentrerat, inte mitt i jobbet. Den växer rejält. Störs fortfarande på rösten men betydligt mer intressant än vid första örat. Trean lutar absolut snarare uppåt än nedåt. Vem vet med några lyssningar till hade de kanske blivit ett riktigt högt betyg, men nån jävla måtta får det ju vara på undertecknads ansträngningar.

Incredibly mature debut. Striking how good the production is, she clearly had some good support behind this effort. Not my sort of music but respect the effort.

Although not my style of music and roads of depressing melancholy lyrics i give it 3 stars cause it's impressive that a teenager can be so advanced in poetic writing and portray the angst of teenage females.

Eh. Quite melodic, very 90s

Pretty good sound. Never listened to her before.

Pretty good, though it felt like a bit of 'generic female singer.'

Man, she has some charged lyrics.

Pretty good.

Fine.

3.5!

Not my type of music

The beginning was def stronger

lot of piano

Didn't really remember many of the tracks other than the hits, but this is a really solid album. I wonder if my listening is now influenced by Fetch the Bolt Cutters? 3.5 stars

The first half of this album is good, the second half is not.

It's ok. Nothing special for me. She sings ok. The music is ok. A solid 3 to 3.5/5.

“Sleep to dream” strata so strong like a rocker, then fades into a Beatles song. This is pretty clever. Blended right into sullen girl. I’m really impressed with the production. Still not a fan of criminal, but I like the rest of the record.

Loved Criminal but not so enthralled with other tracks

Liked this more than I thought I would but I was primed for a patented one star pan so you could say this gazpacho soup burned my lips.

Commercially acceptable Fiona rants aren't that bad, not remarkable but decently catchy. 6.8/10. Strip clubs like Criminal, that's when you know the exact opposite context of her songwriting has been used for the most humorous reason of all time, her MTV music video premiere wasn't really rolled out in the correct manner, I remember the video but additionally understood why nobody within a larger audience would ever care for any particular reason. Much better album releases prior and post. There is clearly emotion there, might be the onset for the rest of her releases, I just don't feel like I'm hearing her quite yet. She held back, I think so.

Individually all these tracks are really solid, collectively they become repetitive and a bit of a snooze fest. I like Fiona Apple and teenage me had a huge crush on her when this album came out. She’s a good poet/songwriter but the album as a whole is lacking. 6.8/10 112/1001

I really liked this to begin with but by the end I was a little bored

Fine.

Boring

2.6

This was a good album. I personally don't love it - the slow-paced singer-songwriter isn't my favorite and I didn't listen closely enough to the lyrics to find out if they were great. The instrumentation was diverse and pleasant to listen to in the background. None of the songs were bad. This was a background album for me, and I was bored enough to be looking at the next album by the end, but that's largely on me and not on Fiona. 6/10