Fetch The Bolt Cutters

Geez people really turned on this album didn’t they. Music still seems good to me. Weird that the current top review here knocks the lyrics for “every other word being fuck this and fuck that” when there’s… a single f-bomb across the entire album? Lots of projection going on when it comes to the content of the album; you’re telling on yourself, bro.

Ok so here we have a 52min (sigh) slab of angry gen X girl quirkiness.... only it's not 1995 anymore. Apple is almost 10 years older than me and all I can think is how immature this is. Every second word was fuck, every second lyric was something like "no, I won't shut up!" etc etc. Are men/the system/record labels/whatever really holding you down in 2020? When you can make an album of this nonsense, using garageband for the music and MS paint for the cover (ie. on a budget of whatever the electricity bill was) and then it charts worldwide? There's no way I can take this sort of shit seriously. And its Wikipedia entry is baffling - all it does is quote over-the-top gushing reviews. Who on earth could care that much about this artsy nonsense? My guess is these ridiculous reviews were written by either people who care more for her status as feminist icon than her music, or guys who had a crush on her in the late 90s. Didn't anyone in the music press think it was overly long, pretentious crap? This amateur reviewer does. 1 point because she clearly DID put some effort in (even if I don't like the result), and another because she can really sing when she gives it a crack. 2/5.

This is what the first month of the Covid Pandemic felt like. And it's such a fucking banger. Quite simply, it's a masterpiece. The album was released about two weeks after the pandemic started, and I'd spend days just listening to this over and over again. Fiona Apple had, of course, recorded the album months previously, yet she somehow found a way to capture exactly how everyone felt when it was released. Just everything about the album, including the cover photo featuring an insane close-up of Fiona giving it a claustrophobic feel. And the title that's an immediate call to action, suggesting a way out of your current predicament. Two years after it's release, every song from top to bottom remains a killer. My favorite song seems to change with each listen, but I have a special spot in my heart for "Newspaper", which only gets better with every repeat listen. This is Fiona Apple firmly distancing herself from every female recording artist who debuted in the '90's and basically left them in the dust. She out-Exiled Liz Phair, jagged right through Alanis, and firmly put the Fiona Apple who blasted onto the scene with "Tidal" in her rearview mirror. She's going to be elected to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame with relatively ease. When she first hit the music scene, Fiona Apple won an MTV Video award and proceeded to tell the audience that "this world was bullshit". And people lost their ever loving shit. How dare this skinny little waif act so unappreciative and vulgar! Fiona Apple was right about the world back then, and she's still right now.

Fiona is going to go down as a national treasure in the US. I felt so strong and powerful after listening to this album that I had to revisit her earlier stuff to see if the same feeling applied. Of course, it did. Her artistic choices are so apparent in this album that her genius really shows. Loved listening to this (over and over). It deserves the Grammy's that it won and she deserved not to have to go to the show!

More garbage. I'm sure she can sing, but she doesn't. She talks. The production quality is embarrassing on this. Sounds like an edge junior high kid produced it, using spare OS midi sounds from Windows 98. It's chaotic in a bad a way, soup-pot of random sound-effects shaken around while trudging through a swamp. Just about a complete lack of musicianship. This feels like something parents would bring up at a wedding to embarrass their kids. "Remember when you were 13 and you thought you'd made a hit record? *everyone groans*, let's just have a listen to this masterpiece. Okay okay, that's enough."

I wish I liked Fiona apple. I feel like she's like the vocal pop version of avant garde jazz. Some people just don't like or get it. I think this is a good album but I don't know that I like it that much tbh. Standouts: shameika, fetch the bolt cutters Songs I hate: relay

[Review pending as author listened to this album, got up, opened his front door, and walked all the way to Brooklyn to offer himself at the altar of the witch coven Fiona Apple surely created through the power and majesty of this album alone]

Percussion is really cool. Chill music, easy listening

Perfect Metacritic score rating. nuff said.

Every time you think “this is going to be a song” it turns out that it isn’t. This whole album just sounds like a mental breakdown.

This is at once her most experimental and most casual sounding record. I appreciate everything about it - especially the way she emphasizes the percussion. She lets her voice rip here in a way that she never really has before, and it stops you in your tracks. She's holding nothing back. This album captures both her intensity and her playfulness equally well. Love the message and love Fiona Apple.

Is this a joke? she's surely making this up as she goes along. Is it supposed to be art? Avant garde? Rubbish.

Terrible and annoying vocals over an uncreative and boring instrumental. Dreadful sound quality as well and mixed very poorly. Possibly the worst album I've ever listened to

I'm not really sure how an album from 2020 is even on this list, since there's not really any way to put an album from last year into its historical context. On the other hand, this is a really cool album. It's easy to see why it struck a chord with people who were locked down and scared during the early stages of the pandemic. It's cool, weird, and well executed 4/5

Fiona sings: “Kick me under the table I won’t shut up I won’t shut up” I wish she would…

When this album came across the generator, I hadn't listened to it in a while. I was initially excited but then worry crept in. What if this album wasn't as good as I remember? Was the hype and adoration overblown? Is this album a victim of the pandemic, where the uncertainty of everything in our lives and the abrupt upending of plans have tainted our views of various aspects of media? Well, despite all of those factors creeping in, this album remains an excellent viewpoint of Fiona Apple and what she means to us. Songs that were seen as been somewhat grating in retrospect (Shameika, Ladies, Heavy Balloon) hit even harder than before and songs that weren't given space to be remembered suddenly galloped with an intensity and fervor that sticks after it ends (Newspaper, Cosmonauts, Drumset). Is the album as good as I remember? Yes. Was the hype and adulation overblown? Yes, but it was deserved. Is it a victim of the early pandemic? For me, not anymore.

Personally thought this album was awful. Having known Fiona from the great song ‘Across the Universe’ I was expecting much much more. The entire album feels like a collection of C-sides, let alone B-sides, written by a moody teenager who thinks open mic nights are the be-all and end-all. Lots of grating repetition of words and phrases, with many random analogies thrown in. First album in years where I had to keep checking how many songs were left until it was over. 1/5.

This was brand new to me and it made me go "wow" so many times as I first listened to it: her distinctive voice, the percussion, the piano, the dogs, and the really really interesting lyrics. Wow wow wow. A few times I had to rewind and listen again since it begged constant careful listening. Just blew me away, and what an exciting feeling that was!

I Want You To Love Me is the perfect song to open this album, I was halfway in love right from the start. Despite the obvious way she uses instruments and background noises, for me what caught my ear the most was the lyrics of the songs. Alot of very personal and emotional lyrics went into this album and I loved it! Standout songs: I Want You To Love Me, Under The Table, Heavy Balloon, For Her

OOOOOOO great album. The expiramentation lends the album this off kilter, shambling kind of feel. Reminds me of a Tom Waits feeling. Relay is probably the song that grabs me the most. For Her is a heavenly blend of harmonies and rage.

Like a work of art.

I love every minute of it. It sounds so chaotic but in a good way. Added it to my album collection. Perfect for a gathering with friends.

A real masterpiece. She doesn't release albums often but when she does they hit hard. My favorite is probably "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" but no duds on this one. The lyrics are raw and honest, the instrumentation is spare and rich. This album was built to last.

I love that this was recorded mostly in GarageBand.

Love her or hate her, it's impossible not to admire the stunning talent of Fiona Apple. She's an incredible songwriter and musically, there's no one quite like her, but the fact that she recorded Fetch the Bolt Cutters by herself at her home pushes her into another realm. How do you even classify Fiona Apple... ? I just think she is so unique, so strong and also delicate, raw and also innovative. I've been a big fan of hers since the rage of Tidal subsided. Even so, this album seems to be somewhat of a departure of the Fiona Apple that I've loved. Like this is the culmination of all of her previous albums and she has finally broken. Almost as if her previous albums were pleas for awareness. Up until FTBC she's danced around mental issues, made allusions, suggested troubles but now she's screaming, fuming with anger and lifting the thin veil that's covered it for so long. From For Her: "Good mornin' good mornin' You raped me in the same bed your daughter was born in" The beauty of Cosmonauts, only to shift into screaming the chorus at the end. And From the title track: "Fetch the Bold Cutters I've been in here too long ... I grew up in the shoes they told me I could fill and I need to run up that hill, I need to run up that hill" This is not a pleasant album to listen to. It's unhappy with broken frustration, learned helplessness and internal voices. Regardless, it's open and raw. It's hard not to imagine her pain while listening to this and it's hard to deny this a position on the 1001 albums list. Great album, hard to listen to.

7/10. Didn't like it nearly as much as Tidal. Had some strong songs, especially towards the end of the album, but other parts of it just kind of annoyed me, and the middle dragged on a bit.

Fiona Apple is the female Tom Waits. I say that in all of the good and bad ways you can think of.

This album sounds like a nervous breakdown Constant, crashing, warlike, eastern percussion takes over much of the album residing over dissonant tones. There is some peaceful breaks, but even then it just seems the brief time you'd spend just holding yourself trying to calm down before becoming enraged once more. Can't believe it took 6 years to record this, or that it was met with such acclaim

I love Fiona Apple, and whilst this isn't my favourite album, it was amazing to have some new music from her after quite a period since the last one.

Fetch the Bolt Cutters One of those names I know, but who’s music I’m not really that familiar with. I wasn’t sure about it on first listen, it felt a bit like a deliberately obtuse Phoebe Buffet, but serendipitously the episode about Criminal on 60 Songs that Explain the 90s came up on my podcast feed, and that gave me a bit more background and context, which helped when I came back to it. On repeat listens I started to really really like it, the focus on percussion and rhythm gives it a slightly unsettling, unpredictable, shifting feel, with some lovely piano lines and little memorable melodies peeking through and around the slightly cluttered sound. The structure and approach feels quite like jazz, even if the sound itself isn’t particularly jazzy, apart from a bit of double bass, and there also seems to be quite a bit of Tom Waits. Shameika, Fetch the Bolt Cutters, Ladies, Heavy Balloon, For Her and Drumset are the standouts, I keep singing the refrains from Shameika and Fetch the Bolt Cutters to myself, but For Her is probably my favourite, dense, sad, angry, a great great song. From being a little lukewarm about at first I ended up thinking this is a great album, slightly odd and off balance, but always fascinating, to the point where yesterday afternoon I just wanted to keep listening to it. Definitely one I’m going to come back to. 4. 🍏🍏🍏🍏 Playlist submission: For Her

I honestly did not know this was on the list. It’s rare to see something so recently released show up. I could probably count on both hands the number of albums I’ve had from the 2010s and beyond. Fiona Apple is one of the most widely appreciated and respected female singer-songwriters of all time. As far as I’ve read, she’s got a pretty consistent, some would even say flawless, career. And she’s also an artist who takes her time. She’s gone six, seven, and even eight years between album releases. This album, being her most recent, is almost half a decade old itself. I guess I can’t really say it definitively, but I’m not so sure this is the best introduction to her music. For anybody, let alone me. But I still dove in with reasonable expectations. This record is the finished project of nearly five years of work. Mostly done hilariously in GarageBand. Which just proves you do not need fancy equipment to put something worthwhile out if you have the talent to properly realize your vision. Apparently much of these vocal takes were taken and largely unedited from their original sound, which really brings out the raw emotion. The album as a whole feels like it was recorded in a living room with one microphone positioned on the coffee table in the middle of the room. This lo-fi feel is also aided by the style of instrumentation. It is much more percussion based than I ever would have imagined. They supposedly used a variety of different unusual methods to create these sounds, using regular every day objects. And I can almost imagine the clinking and clacking of pencils on desks or pots and pans tapping together. Apple herself is a poignant lyricist, and her vocal delivery is undeniably striking. For how late this was into her career as well, she sounds fantastic. It is a little hard for me to properly review this though. I’ve never heard another one of her album’s, so I don’t know what to compare this to. I can’t say for sure how this holds up, but I also don’t know how much replay value this has for me. It is definitely an experimental album, and its unusually bare and stripped down approach left me confused as to whether I should focus on the music or the singer herself. But overall, as an experience the album is pretty solid. And it surely gives me more of a reason to check out her other albums in the future. Rating: 7/10

Had given this a listen previously as a result of it being consistently high on best of 2020 lists. Throws a couple of pretty heavy lyrical punches throughout and features some incredibly impressive vocal range, phrasing and delivery. Opening track intro sounds like My Dick by Mickey Avalon which I can almost 100% guarantee was not the intention based on the themes across the album.

This surprised me a lot and found myself enjoying this way more than expected. My favorite was “Shameika”

The most recent release of legendary Singer-Songwriter and Art Pop icon Fiona Apple who stayed a welcome presence in both mainstream and with the critics since her debut in 1996 and became even more talked about since her sophomore record "When the Pawn" which to this day is viewed as her most extravagant album. With this 2020 Art Pop album which features influences from Piano and Experimental Rock as well as R&B and Cabaret to create a one of a kind release that sounds very "home made" but still with a lot of quality in the experimentation and songwriting. It features a lot of non-musical percussion, effects and even some dogs that add further to the well made weirdness of the album which the cover art already hints to. The opening track 'I Want You to Love Me' starts with a weird percussion intro before moving to a very beautiful piano that takes influence from both Jazz and Blues. Both the vocals and songwriting again feels very much inspired by typical Jazz standards but with much more Pop and Rock focus and a lot of additude in the vocals. I think the experimentation and the things she sometimes does with her vocals is adding a lot to the enjoyment but overall I feel like the song came out duller than it could've. It definitely has qualities but something is holding it back from being more than just good. On 'Shameika' she goes more into Cabaret & Jazz vocal delivery which does result in some very interesting moments and a staggering performance throughout. It often switches between building tension and going absolutely manic with the instruments that just do everything while obviously sticking together in the chaos. But after some time, it does get a bit repetative because it does the same "crazy" again without seriously changing it which does result in it not feeling fully tied together in itself. Overall, this is an okay track but again, the potential is there for much more than that. With the title track 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters' it not only gets more Jazz but also more Experimental with a mix of Musique concrète, Animal Sounds from dogs & Spoken Word passages. It's without a doubt a very, very weird song that seems to be all over the place but I personally think that it makes it so much more interesting than previous songs. The hook is incredibly catchy and the instrumental passages are more intriguing as well. It's both psychedelic and undefinable but also catchy enough to sound great the entire time. 'Under the Table' returns to the Cabaret vocal delivery but also does a pretty nice mix of production choices that complement the songwriting very well that finalises in a nice chorus that repeats a lot but never too much. The bridge with the crazy mix also has its interesting moments. It's a good song, pretty good. The Blues vocals on 'Relay' give the track a very groovy and classic feel that is mixed with a Experimental Pop Rock production. The result is sounds a lot like some Experimental R&B from the 60's mixed with modern times. It's interesting and groovy throughout the whole track with the vocals carrying most of it. I think it's done very well in terms of songwriting and the song's great even if the outro wasn't needed at all. The Jazz, R&B and Soul influences don't stop on 'Rack of His' but again, it's implemented in an Experimental and weird setting. I think that on paper this is a great song: the vocals are incredible, the production is done well including some very, very interesting percussion but there's just something there that makes the song feel a bit basic in full. It's still a good song but it could've been much better. The weird combination of R&B vocals and Industrial production sounds like it shouldn't work but somehow it does. It isn't the craziest by any means but it has something that makes me stay interested with it much longer than I thought I would. It's still streched a little bit too much to be fully enjoyable but it is a pretty solid track with some very outstanding parts that are sadly buried a bit in the length of the track as well as a certain repetition in the songwriting. 'Ladies' is a more standard Jazz Pop track with influences from Soul & Brill Building while still being obviously Pop. It also focuses a lot on more sentimental Piano melodies that the vocals are added on top. My biggest problem isn't the sound or the songwriting but again the length which is just way too much. No need for this to be more than 5 minutes. But it is still a pretty well performed and put together track which is why it's still good. While still having Soul influences, 'Heavy Balloon' does return to a more Experimental instrumentation that is stiched together from ideas that are all over the place but it is one of the tracks where this actually works. The songwriting is absolutely incredibly and both vocals and lyrics are performed equally perfect. Some parts in the verses are a little bit unfocused but the pre-chorus is just masterful. It reminds me a lot of Nick Cave which is enough for me to really like the track. It's incredible. Even on 'Cosmonauts' the Epxerimental ideas are present even if they are pushed much further back in the sound. The focus are vocals and lyrics which I personally find pretty basic and standard and in return think that it does ruin a bit of the track but the angelic backing vocals are at least adding something. It sadly doesn't help enough to save much. I think this song is not good and often even bad. The claps at the start of 'For Her' seem to introduce something completely else but it's actually an A Capella girl group that follows with only some weird instrumentation appearing later and not always all that present. The idea is there as well as the product but to me it's just not that interesting. There are certainly moments that are good but it doesn't reach further than okay. 'Drumset' again focuses mainly on the vocals but I find most of the track to be pretty boring and even annoying at points. The good and the bad equal each other out to a very average and decent track. The closing track 'On I Go' is one of the most Experimental tracks with a combination of Avant-Garde Post-Industrial and Pop vocals that add a dark and twisted twist to the sound while still feeling in touch with what the album mostly did. I personally think that these two "parts" don't really fit together well and the result feels very average, again. favourites: Heavy Balloon, Fetch the Bolt Cutters, Relay least favourites: Cosmonauts Rating: strong 6 to light 7 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Various elements that I usually dislike were at play on this album, but they worked. 1. Excessive repetition 2. Odd extraneous sound effects 3. Spoken word-ish style.

I almost stopped listening on the first song but I hung in there and actually sort of liked Shameika. The rest seems pretty indulgent in that everything feels like a practice run for a live jam session--just not quite as good as it should be. Will say I liked this a lot more than Tidal.

You guys remember the pandemic? Crazy, right? This album is pandemic-core, in a similar vein as that celebrity "Imagine" singalong, or the video of Sam Smith crying about lockdown after like two days. This album was lauded to high heaven when it dropped, and I really didn't get the hype then. Okay, Fiona is stuck in the house and going insane, I guess that makes this album interesting. But musically, it feels not just disorganized but whimsical to a point that I just don't really like. Think Tom Waits if he were doing a character of a carnival barker going insane. I liked one more song this time than I did the first time I heard it (and a few other songs I almost liked, but then they just got too annoying), but I'm still not really into this album. I'll give it three stars because I respect the craft, and it's not bad by any means. But it's dated, and it's not for me. Favorite tracks: Relay, Rack of His, Heavy Balloon. Album art: I do like the cover, it conveys her madness pretty well. Bold, contrasting colors between the font and the little gold ribbons or whatever. She looks like she's auditioning for the Joker, and she kinda sounds like it here too. 3/5

I like how this album is produced; the different layers of music fit very well with each other. But no element makes the album stand out: there are no catchy melodies, no cool guitar riffs, no impressive vocals, or interesting storytelling in the lyrics. To be fair, I don't tend to enjoy alternative music in general, so I guess this album isn't for me.

This album is just what the insufferable chicks I have an irrational list towards would listen to. By the end of that Bolt Cutters song my dogs were wondering why I was listening to a domestic abuse recording

не понял, что люди тут находят, почти 1

Although better than the rest of this week’s selection, I don’t actively ‘like’ Fiona Apple’s music. I know a lot of musos do but she doesn’t do much for me. I quite liked Newspaper but as for the rest - I’m sure it’s worthy but can’t get into it.

I don't really dislike it, she has a good voice but I don't really love it. It's a 2.5 for me getting a 2 because it's way overhyped.

Strange

Hat Potential. Nervt aber kolossal. Sie bevorzugt einen erzählenden Songwriting-Stil, leider interessieren ihre Petitessen mich nicht im geringsten.

Why is this here? She had one song in the 90s.

This was not pleasant to listen to. At the end of the first track, she was making dolphin calls... And it didn't get better from there.

awful

My initial impression was Morrisett in 2020. The notes are held too long in the first track and the noises/babble were too much. The rest of the album sounds like she just wanted to get a record out. Needs a lot more polish. The picture on the cover looks like Fiona is listening to her own songs from this album, I’ve never been a Fiona Apple fan and this may be why.

Shove an apple up your bum, Fiona. As a young father to twin girls, if either of them grew up to be anything like Fiona Apple, I would slit their throats in their sleep.

Well... that sucked.

Not good

This would be a great instrumental album. Some really cool percussion sounds. Unfortunately, Fiona gets in the way and ruins it with a horrible tone and asinine lyrics.

I have weirdly fond memories of the early days of Covid. Obviously it was devastating for millions of people who lost loved ones, lost work, or suffered with their mental health. But despite this, there was some calm that came with lockdown. It forced a lot of us to slow down. Stay at home, work on your garden, start some projects, get some exercise, go on long walks, etc. And listen to "Fetch the Bolt Cutters". This album came out at the perfect time, unintentionally. With themes of domestic scenes, self reflection, politics, and escape, it became the soundtrack to many people's lockdown. The experimental nature in some ways reflect the attitude of the time when many people thought "Maybe I'll learn to bake sourdough". The heavy and odd percussion throughout the album was built around found objects in Fiona Apple's home. The songs are poppy but subverted. Calm with a deep sense of unease. If you didn't hear it at the time, it might not resonate completely but in those times, it was the perfect album.

I'm not really familiar with Fiona Apple as I always assumed she would be outside my music taste. However, this album blew me away - raw, honest, creative, different, and clever and it completely captured my attention. Rating: 5

I hadn’t listened to Fetch The Bolt Cutters for about a year, so this was a pleasant reminder of just how great of a pop album it really is! During the first track, I thought to myself “oh yeah, this is that great catchy song”. Then the same happened at the second track, the third, and so on. There is no miss on this, and the combination of bedroom lo-fi quirkiness and almost industrial percussion work brilliantly. Come for Fiona Apple's thoughtful and humorous lyrics, stay for the sound of barking dogs and earworms.

If INSIDE is THE comedy piece to incapsulate the pandemic, Fetch The Bolt Cutters could very well be the album equivalent of that (even though its timely release was more of a coincidence).

they should be teaching this album in schools it needs to be required listening

I found the album's construction fascinating, but importantly Fi hasn't lost her skill for writing melody - which makes this experimental and accessible at the same time. And what's more it grows with every listen. Her vocal is tender or gritty as required. Her backing harmonies are expressive, choral and add a whole other layer to already wonderful melodies (check the 'Cosmonauts' backing). I found this album quite the revelation - the true successor in the Kate Bush lineage, whom she references on the title track. There are shoots of melody sprouting everywhere - some fully blossom, some remain little buds. It's multi-layered; it has interesting touches and inventiveness all over. Not many have the skill to build an album as enthralling. It's fascinating. And it's indescribably good.

+ i want you to love me, fetch the bolt cutters, newspaper, heavy balloon, cosmonauts

10/10 One of the best albums of the last few years. I remember listening to this when it came out and it being my first foray into this style of music. Really opened a lot of music for me. Big fan. Favorite Song: Fetch the Bolt Cutters

Fiona Apple's 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters' is a visceral, unflinching masterpiece. It's a unique percussive landscape from found sounds where raw emotion bleeds through every track, from the percussive slams of mattresses to the unedited, dripping anger in her vocals. The album's power lies in its fearless confrontation of trauma and the yearning for liberation. Apple's lyrics, as exemplified by the stark 'Good morning, good morning/ You raped me in the same bed your daughter was born in,' cut to the bone, making this an essential and deeply affecting listen

Loved it

Fiona nema lošeg albuma, ali nažalost nema ni puno albuma

Such a unique album

Just love for Fiona

Very nice discovery, fresh vibes, I quite enjoyed it! 9/10

Absolute banger of an album.

Amazing album. Just reading the lyrics is enough to fall in love, but on top of that we have great singing voice, original use of drums and instruments, and overall great package. I have listened to the album twice now, it has couple of less interesting songs, but the level of quality is still really high. The highlight of the album - definitely Relay. Great poetic work, simply but moving melody and emotional vocal. It's now one of my favourite songs that I've discovered through this website. For sure it deserves 5 stars and an asterisk, meaning it's more like 5 and a half. Looking for a vinyl straight away!

A full-out masterpiece. There's a great New Yorker profile about the unfiltered creation of this album. The best moment of the title track, where Apple shifts up — "I thought being blacklisted would be grist for the mill" — is improvised, she says. From the profile: "She knew that it was good, because it was embarrassing." There's a lot of deconstruction here, both musically and personally. There's an outright repudiation of the image of the young (female) artist as muse, a box she had been placed into with her relationship with Paul Thomas Anderson. The making-of Magnolia doc is revealing; that movie is a singular achievement, too, but it cuts through Anderson's brilliance to see him, the same age I am now, coked-up, conceiving of himself as a great artist, his proximity to Apple seemingly a show of status and sway. "You're working out your psychoses on everyone else's": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVt2oYUu5jQ Endlessly catchy and inventive. Hard to pick favourites: the aforementioned title track, Drumset, Cosmonauts, Newspaper, Heavy Balloon, and especially I Want You to Love Me, which has, I think, the thesis statement, on wanting what one wants: "I know none of this will matter in the long run, but I know a sound is still a sound around no one." Alongside Phoebe Bridgers' Punisher, released a couple months later, I think this is the decade-defining album to date.

Now THIS is a must hear album. Fiona dropping this album during lockdown wound up being a major highlight of 2020. It's a perfect album to get lost inside of, and grows more rewarding with repeat listens. You can tell having the freedom to complete the album in her own way yielded benefits across the board. Every song feels personal, fueled by her emotions, driven by her piano and the percussion. It's easily her best album since When the Pawn... Just don't ask me to figure out the actual rankings between the two and Tidal. Hopefully we don't have another long wait between albums, but if we do, well, at this point I completely trust it'll be worth waiting however long it takes.

It's spectacular. Incredible lyricism and storytelling, vibrant instrumentals and the perfect combination of accessibility and experimentation. If I was to pick favourites I'd go for I want you to love me, relay and cosmonauts, but that's only after the first time of listening. Next time I would be listing probably 10 of the tracks here. At least. Thoroughly deserved 5 stars.

This makes me miss Covid

I love you Ms. Pots & Pans, a deeply heartfelt and truly original work

Fiona is a mystery. And this record is simply great. Totally different. Excellent songwriting, top notch performance, so man small details.

Some albums just have the sauce. The first couple of bars if Rack of His have the sauce. Eerie, intoxicating, and fully unique sounding, it's just one song of many on this album that are really special. I Want Ypu to Love Me, Shameika, Csomonauts, and For Her are great. Fiona definitely has a singing style that persists throughout this album that teeters between fast talking and singing. I know this is her newest album, but very intersted in more of her discography after this.

This album rules, can't believe I've never heard it before. Bangers all the way through. It reminds of Regina Specter with fangs (in a good way) When I listen to it I picture a badass woman walking in slow motion through the streets of New York while stuff is abstractly blowing up around them. I like the classical or baroque-y vibes underneath a punk-like march liberally topped with vocals like pop rocks.

Flawless front to back. It feels like the brand of angst and kindness I try to embody. Put it on my tombstone.

Bewilderingly good songwriting. I think Dana and I listened to this in it’s entirety 400 times in March/April 2020.

Definitivt corona æra album. Elsker hendes vokal

RYTME! Sindssygt fed percussion, vokaler, tekster, alle sangene er bangers. mesterværk.

What a delight. I love her creativity.

10/10

Very powerful! An absolute revelation!

Sonically brilliant, very good songwriting, excellent themes. This was an instant classic when it dropped but I will be curious to see how it holds up in a couple decades. I already feel like "Idler Wheel" has a more timeless sound and will be looked at as better in my mind. Time will tell.

Love this album. Good from the first track onwards. "I Want You to Want Me" being one of the best crafted of them all. Enjoyed her different takes on life. Oh, and couldn't help noticing most of her songs included her reflections on ended relationships and bad boyfriends. Might have missed one, but I am thinking of: "Rack of His", "Newspaper", "Ladies", "For Her", and "Drumset".

Only album I have listened to so far that gets a full 5 star review. I was listening to Fiona’s Tidal album the night before, not realizing this was next in line for album of the day. (Favorite all-time song from Fiona is “Slow Like Honey” - never gets old for me). Was in the right place and in the right mood to enjoy her artistry. Tidal album is still my favorite. I enjoy her unique writing but am in love with how she uses the piano. Chef’s kiss.

On first listen I thought, yeah not bad. Second listen blew me away. Musically and lyrically its superb. Really like it

INCREDIBLE!!! Love this album. Masterpiece. Sounds unlike anything else. Strong sparse and nutty instrumentation.

god the LAYERS on the song "fetch the bolt cutters" are so fun, suuuper enjoyable?!?! halfway through - i feel like i could love this album, but so far theres somthing missing? its been really really beautiful in parts but its not a 5... yet! oh weird shes 47, i went into this thinking it was a 20 somthings first/seccond album lol NEVEERMIND i think shes perfected this idea of a "20 somthings first/seccond album" its like okay i said this to my friend im pasting the converstaion; [20/11/2024, 8:15:21 pm] Addie Norton: so far halfway through this album [20/11/2024, 8:15:23 pm] Addie Norton: ITS GOOD [20/11/2024, 8:15:25 pm] Addie Norton: dont get me wrong [20/11/2024, 8:15:28 pm] Addie Norton: i enjoy it [20/11/2024, 8:15:32 pm] Addie Norton: but the production value and vibe is [20/11/2024, 8:15:36 pm] Addie Norton: 20 somthing album 2/3 [20/11/2024, 8:15:40 pm] Addie Norton: and it does that [20/11/2024, 8:15:41 pm] Addie Norton: wonderfully [20/11/2024, 8:15:58 pm] Addie Norton: but agh i cannot sit here and be told that shes 47 😭 [20/11/2024, 8:16:23 pm] Addie Norton: like the lyrics feel too immature for that in a way, i feel like she could take what shes doing and make somthing really interesting [20/11/2024, 8:16:35 pm] Addie Norton: but shes talking about issues I still have [20/11/2024, 8:16:37 pm] Addie Norton: and i dont know [20/11/2024, 8:16:40 pm] Addie Norton: if i should love her [20/11/2024, 8:16:42 pm] Addie Norton: and relate to her [20/11/2024, 8:16:44 pm] Addie Norton: and adore her [20/11/2024, 8:17:01 pm] Addie Norton: but for some reason my gut instinct is resent for some silly reason [20/11/2024, 8:17:16 pm] Addie Norton: MY rating on song 8/13 currently is a 4/5 [20/11/2024, 8:17:26 pm] Addie Norton: it just dosnt have that thing that makes me adore it yet [20/11/2024, 8:17:27 pm] Addie Norton: YET [20/11/2024, 8:17:31 pm] Addie Norton: ill update u ❤️ [20/11/2024, 8:19:00 pm] Addie Norton: she has a very pretty voice but its also like [20/11/2024, 8:19:05 pm] Addie Norton: raspy when she pushes it [20/11/2024, 8:19:10 pm] Addie Norton: and it gives it a little tingle i like [20/11/2024, 8:19:22 pm] Addie Norton: her screaming LADIES LADIES LADIES is really satisfying [20/11/2024, 8:22:48 pm] CATHERINNNE awesomeface: Yes [20/11/2024, 8:22:51 pm] CATHERINNNE awesomeface: Yes [20/11/2024, 8:22:55 pm] CATHERINNNE awesomeface: Yes [20/11/2024, 8:23:46 pm] Addie Norton: also [20/11/2024, 8:23:49 pm] Addie Norton: the double bass goes [20/11/2024, 8:23:50 pm] Addie Norton: so hard [20/11/2024, 8:23:54 pm] Addie Norton: i need to hear this live [20/11/2024, 8:23:55 pm] Addie Norton: HAHA [20/11/2024, 8:23:57 pm] Addie Norton: is all i think in short, now im coming towards the end of this album. its solid. its so solid. you feel the pain and emotion in her voice, you want to cry with her, you feel it with her, cosmonauts has just brung this to a 5/5 album. fucking hell. its not even over. this idea that other people are talking about it being a row of f bombs and a dump on the system? i doing see that, i dont notice that, to me this is a woman talking about her issues, i dont know who she is, as her first album for me, i liked it. i think it had a peak at cosmonauts, but that was a good album. thanks. ALSO THE PRECUSSION IS SO FUN!! raw, emotional, fun.

I love Fiona Apple but this didn't need to be here. It's a great record and came out during the early days of the pandemic but still... probably not required listening on this. Nonetheless I personally love it.

Really Great! Tribal and energetic

really neat album. totally against the grain at times but completely listenable. fiona apple's songwriting is on a different plane from everyone else. very uniquely and singularly her. from front to back, i really enjoyed this one!

Obviously

Fiona goes in a very surprising Tom Waits-esque direction with all the pounding percussion and other strange sounds. Very pointed songwriting, with powerful imagery, intimate but surreal. Truly uncompromising record from a truly uncompromising artist. Key tracks: I Want You to Love Me Shameika Fetch the Bolt Cutters Rack of His Cosmonauts

Shameika Rack of His Newspaper Heavy Balloon For Her

I didn't immediately click with this album when I first listened but revisiting again after discovering the rest of her discography and falling in love this is now one of the most gripping singer songwriter albums I've ever heard

Great album

Everyone should listen to this at least once in their life

Loved this.

10/10. Great creativity and voice. Large majority of songs went to the playlist.