Fetch The Bolt Cutters

Like under the table

An album recorded during covid. Does that qualify for +1? Even with it's hard to rate this one too high.

I listened to this a bit when it was released, since it made many critic's top-ten lists and "Shameika" got a lot of attention. It's a brave album - experimental, quirky with unusual rhythms, heavy lyrics and no attempts to score a hit. I want to give it a higher mark but it's a bit of a challenging listen.

I liked this when it came out but I’m not agreeing with the newest inclusions, I mean where are a Moon Shaped Pool or When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go?

Fiona Apple really isn't my cup of tea.

It was okay but I was hoping for something with a bit more punch to it.

Overhyped but could listen

It's a musical extravaganza with whimsical arrangements and virtuoso vocal performances, even if the songs sometimes become so erratic that they lose their cohesion. One of the highlights is the piano playing, which unfortunately often remains in the background. As it is, it ends up being more about the lyrics than the music, and there are much better poets and novelists out there. (6/10) FT: I Want You to Love Me, Under the Table, Ladies

Very good. 3/5

Fiona Apple is brilliant. But there is just a bit too much spoken word on “Fetch the Bolt Cutters,” and too many songs that Apple is determined to add an overly weird segment just for the sake of being quirky.

I liked the homemade quality of this album. Fiona clearly has enough history in the music game to know how to stay on the good side of the line between homemade-good and homemade-bad. There was a good but cohesive mix of styles on display on this album. I really liked the darker, moodier songs on the album: for example, Newspaper, as well as Heavy Balloon, which turned out to be my favorite album on the track. This album was very percussion-forward, which is a bit experimental for an artist like Fiona, but she made it work. If Fiona ever finds herself failing as a musician, she can easily be a dolphin, because her dolphin chattering at the end of I Want You to Love Me is top notch.

Fiona Apple has a way of making things that have no business sounding good, sound great. That said, this album was a little too weird for my taste but she is a really unique talent and is worth listening to.

Leans into all the interesting idiosyncracies of Fiona Apple's music, maybe up to a point where it might be off-putting. Not great variation of theme but very inventive rhythms, lyrics, harmonies, and vocal delivery. Not everyone's cup of tea but definitely worth a few sips just to see. Shannah - 3 Bill - 3 Jane - 1 conor - 4.5 (2.875/5)

Cool

Que tan interesante 4

Heard of her, but have never listened. Will be interested to see what she's all about... First track (I Want You To Love Me) seems like I'm going to like this album...like her voice, like her style, like the piano...a little concerned about the bat noises at the end. Hopefully that's not a portent of things to come... Not a fan of this ASMR nonsense going on in Shameika The rest of the album had many of the same positive and negative aspects. Like some of it; hate some of it. Overall, a true 3/5.

Bit too grating for me in moments (I don’t need to hear your dogs barking for an extended period of time), but it was alright.

Interesting an album from 2020 made it, this is up and down for me. Overall enjoy me some Fiona

Lyrically superb, but not my sort of music.

Don’t like her vocals. Fine otherwise

a tough listen, need to give it a bit more of a go

I like Fiona Apple, but sometimes she gets a bit too eccentric for me. This was good, but not great. 3 stars.

The whole album is just a but awkward and unconventional.

Very unorthodox album, not sure I'm a fan. Typical three although closer to a 2 than a 4

Not as good as other Fiona Apple albums

This album absolutely embodies the philosophy of not giving a fuck and doing whatever the fuck you want as long as it works for you.

This is not at all my normal genre but I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought. Not something I'll listen to every day but it was a good album.

Not great, not bad. I was very conflicted listening to this because my mood regarding each song could change 14 times within the song, times it sounded so cool, mellow, pretty. And then she’d start yelling at me and I was put off.

Bueno

I listened

As much as I feel like I should, I just can't get into this. It has some interesting and somewhat catchy tunes (Shameika, I Want You to Love Me and Ladies are highlights) but I find this is overall just a trying listen. 2.5/5

Došo do pola i da svida mi se, al nije mi mood

Started off great and original, but the ending was a bit meh. Most of the songs felt the same.

Bom.

I theoretically like Fiona Apple more than I actually enjoy listening to her in general, with some exceptions. I appreciate the style and energy but I’m not always thrilled with the execution, I can see why people like her but it’s not my thing.

Enjoyed this, apart from the avant garde whale song moments. If I knew how to I'd edit all the shite out of this and it'd be even better. Will listen again and try some of her other stuff.

If Shameika said she had potential, then by golly she sure did. This is a more mature album coming from the borderline grunge princess of the 90's. It feels disjointed and all over the place sonically. Lyrically, some of her best writing. 3/5

Interesting...

Not boring. Not great. More than a Tori Amos wannabe hitting a saucepan. Occassionally suprising. Often not.

The found percussion is mildly interesting, the songs are mildly boring. A perfect 2.5 but I'll round up

I had no idea she was still active. No standout hits for me on the play through but she still sounds great. I like the weird rhythms. Hard to say if it’s a “must hear” without some historical perspective on it. But it’s decent.

6/10. I can see why this got so much hype, it’s pretty creative and Fiona Apple is a pretty good storyteller, but this album just wasn’t for me

I liked this a lot less than I was expecting. 5/10

Mir zu unstet…

I started listening to Fiona Apple a few weeks prior to doing this and her music is something. But this album isn't for me.

Interesting, but not really my thing

Overrated p4k music

Pretty unique and interesting

Who? What? Wiki says it's "Rooted in experimentation, the album largely features unconventional percussion." Yeh, hard to put a finger on, interesting and different and not unenjoyable.

I love her voice, piano playing and the lyrics. Really interesting and this could have been a 4 star but some parts are too jazzy for my tastes.

Interesting and imaginative.

Decent and different. Too jazzy in places though

Core blimey

Not my thing. Kooky yet generic… if that’s possible.

Interesting album. Good lyrics and themes. Not my usual thing, but I appreciate the work.

I love Fiona Apple, but I feel like this album is more than a little overrated and the buzz around it overshadows the superior previous album, Idler Wheel. That being said, it's not a bad album at all. For Her is an amazing song.

JL : 2, Newspaper

no sé que pensar de Fiona Apple. otros albumes de ella me habían gustado, pero hasta ahí. prefiero cuando canta a esa cosa rara de medio que cantar hablando. tiene un par de temas que zafan pero en general la verdad no lo escucharía devuelta

no banqué mucho, suena como si mac miller hubiese querido lucrar de su depresion y se haya olvidado de instrumentos.

Fiona, I lived your first few albums. Saw you live and enjoyed it. Good time were had. Not with this album though. The songs all started out strong and ended with weirdness. It's like you had no one in the studio to hold you back when the spirit of Yoko took over and you went off the reservation into weird artist valley. I get it. You've always been the art lady but it seems like you gave up on the rest of us with this one.

Wanted to like it. Didn't.

Couldn't. What she started barking i turned it off

This is #day689 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to crossing out another artist off the list. So you're saying this record ended up here because it marked Fiona Apple's comeback. I see. Well, it's so all over the place and "artsy" that it holds little merit to me. I genuinely don't get the level of acclaim for this artist. I felt relieved (actually pretty annoyed) when this was finally over. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day690.

fell off after her 1st album (many such cases)

This list pisses me of in the same ways documented by many others. Why am I having to endure another Fiona Apple album when there are so many worthy artists not even included? See also over-representation from some other artists too. Rant over. Like the previous FA album I’ve had on here, there is nothing particularly remarkable about this. It actually sounds like the pandemic album that it is, which I guess is remarkable in itself. It fares slightly better than Tidal, as it seems a little more adventurous and slight less generic. She is obviously talented, but there is nothing particularly amazing here.

An album that has some nice ideas and some weird delivery. The instrumentals are rich but as a whole I found it, mostly forgettable. I can't say that anything really stood out. There are moments in which Fiona's vocals shine but those are surrounded by mostly melodic narration which in that case is a disservice. The album also comes across as quirky, though not in a way that worked for me. I liked "Shanmeika".

Is it me or is this a lackluster production wise album? The vocals seem hollow. I could expand. Lyrically it’s a bit flat as well. Not even close to her powerhouse days. Shes been through a lot, I get it. She’s taking that Tori Amos route of not being seen as anything else but a musician, I get it. This album seems to just be mailed in. I get it, it’s during covid. Without doing my research, she probably recorded it at home. Ok ok. But still. It’s hollow and lacks home run hitters. There are songs that keep this album afloat, if I can say something to keep this serviceable. Under the table Rack of His On I Go All somewhat save face. But still. I’m disappointed

Idt I’m a Fiona guy

This started out promising but just followed to the next kooky track ad infinitum.

I found this album difficult to like. I can see some value in the open and modern female perspective that is missing in a lot of this list and i appreciate the volume and variety of ideas. However, i just really didnt enjoy listening to it and it lacked any real tunes ir joy.

Not my cup of tea. Some good moments though

Not for me.

This is very meh for me

I know I'm definitely not the target audience but this album was a pretty tough listen. This is music made for women with septum piercings and Subaru drivers. That should explain it

If Portishead - Dummy is Nigella Lawson, Fetch the Boltcutters is a hobo under a bridge with a crack spoon. Can see why this is highly commended and the second half of the album almost pulled it back for me, but sometimes you just need to concede when a record simply isn't your cuppa tea.

Fiona Apple didn't cook here. I like her earlier work, but this does little for me. It's certainly a bit more boundary pushing than her earlier stuff, so I can see why it works well for music nerds. Perhaps just a little too out there for me though, it kind of takes away from my enjoyment here.

# Album Name: Fetch The Bolt Cutters # Artist: FA # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Meh. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? No

Not exactly what I was expecting from Fiona Apple, having only heard the early hits from her debut. From the historical records it seems this album's success was largely due to a subject matter of oppression and isolation timed with the terrifyingly raw new normal of COVID lockdown. Humorous, good melodies, interesting lyricism, with some wacky bits thrown in... I still hear the parallels drawn with Tori Amos.

Wow. An album from during the pandemic? Very different from her other music. But another example of an ugly album cover.

Really expected to love this but it just like a bunch of failed experiments mixed together. Love her other stuff but this wasn't for me

You're telling that in the almost 2 million commercial albums released in the roughly 70 years since the 1st album on this list, Fiona fucking Apple deserves 1 of them, let ALONE 2. Utter madness. 0.2% of the albums I HAVE to listen to before I die are by a woman who can't even write a decent lyric and produces music presumably using recording equipment she found in a bin.

Demasiado alternativo. Letras largas y sin fin. No tiene hilo conductor

Nope, not for me thanks. I found it a struggle and didn't enjoy it. My loss. Fine. Whatever.

Not great. Whiny and annoying tbh. Hard pass.

4/10

This should be brilliant. The music actually is. It’s interesting and layered and experimental. Unfortunately, Fiona is completely and aggressively incapable of writing a lyric. She repeat-chants the same words over and over and over and over and over until it swallows the brilliance below and reduces it to pure turdage. Someone should’ve stopped her. Producers have real jobs. This album is such a waste, it actually made me angry.

What an irritating vocal. Glad that’s over.

Want to like this more expecting an easier listen. Although very clever, a bit experimental and her commentary is decent. Not sure I’ll need to rush back.

I remember trying and failing to get into this one back when people were going bonkers over it during the pandemic. My opinion of it hasn’t changed; I respect the experimentation and I think Fiona Apple has a really great voice, but so much about this album is so off-putting to me that I can’t really enjoy it.

Good addition. Mostly annoys me, personally. Got sick of hearing about it in 2020. Fantano music: minus 1 star. To address a random review: I'm quite sure that more than 3 female artists debuted in the 90s. Liz Phair cooler anyway.

I like something more melodic and with more flow. This didn't work for me.

Sigh.... Just because something is interesting, doesn't make it good. I really like Fiona Apple and her wordsmithing but I don't care for this album. Great musicianship at times but for what? Disjointed and irritating. Like a bad Tom Waits album... what's he doing over there? Complaining and being annoying. If this album spent more time finding a groove instead of trying to be different, you'd have a beauty.

Really good piano on the first couple of tracks, but the vocals are strange and not sure I like it. This is much less melodic than I expected, it feels almost improvised, like someone turned a slam poetry session into an album. The next couple of songs are a little more accessible, although neither must have gotten much radio play. Under The Table is strong with more of the same fey music and good lyrics. She really opts for repetitive elements, unmusical at times, and lyrics seemingly designed to bludgeon. It may be too much for me. The high point by far is Cosmonauts - what a vocal hook in the chorus. Overall, there's good moments here so I am tempted to give it *** but I just can't. A difficult listen.

I respect what went into making this album but the overall experience of listening to it left me feeling cold

The style for this one didn't quite work for me. I know this was big during COVID, but I never really listened to it then so it doesn't have that association for me, whether for good or bad. It probably would have hit harder for me at that time. Favorite track: "Cosmonauts"

Unique use of a bathing dog in an apartment sound

It’s not bad, but eventually it’s too annoying.

If you can get past the initial quirk factor, there are actually some interesting sketches, but they could have greatly benefitted from some editing and arranging ... and developing them into actual good songs, which never happens. Oh, they left a barking dog in the song that the mic picked up accidently ... WHAAA, SO ARTSY AND EXPERIMENTAL. The kick drum sounds really nice, though. Great amount of low end "oomph", but sharp and punchy at the same time, the tail being short enough not too muddy up everything else.

You have to respect that she wasn't complacent between 1996 and 2020. However Tidal is so much better than this.

Ok 2/5

odd new album they gave us from 2020

I don't mind unconventionality in music, but this album did not do it well. Lots of weird sounds coming from her and random things like dogs barking. What's that all about? The lyrics are weird and the production isn't that good either. The album gets worse with each song, but there are times throughout I enjoyed the music. Overall, not my thing.

No me atrapó

a very difficult listen

I really don’t get the hype on this one. It sounds like a bunch of half-finished ideas thrown together instead of actual songs. The whole thing feels messy in a way that isn’t interesting, just annoying. The production drove me nuts. It’s all clanking, stomping, and random noise that never really comes together. Instead of adding character, it just makes everything feel scattered and hard to sit through.

started off so great. 2.5

Huh

The effect of COVID-19 on the human brain will be studied forever…

I have a bit of a soft spot for this album. It came out at the start of Covid and listening to it bored and stoned it felt very unique and profound. But, some of the tracks I saved have been instant skips in the years since. Some albums take a few listens to love, this album is the opposite.

Jag vet att jag försökte mig på den här ett par tre gånger när den kom. Jag återvände aldrig men den hade och har nåt. En uppriktighet kanske? Och nä det är inte särskilt bra men det väcker nån form av nyfikenhet hos mig av nån anledning. "Heavy balloon" är en rätt bra låt annars är det tunt på den fronten. Klarar tvåan tack vare egensinnet och att den öppnar öronen lite grann på en.

Det här är bättre än Tidal som också finns med i boken. Mer experimentell. En del roliga pratsjungna texter. I längden kanske lite störig. Men i alla fall inte meningslös musik som Tidal.

Fiona Apple har alltså två album med i boken. Det här är betydligt bättre än Tidal. Gillar det akustiska men ändå stora soundet på skivan. Texterna uppfattar jag som närmast dagboksanteckningar, men det blir lite amatörteater av det hela, särskilt i Relay och Newspaper. Första halvan är helt klart lyssningsbart, men sen tröttnar jag. Det finns tendenser till att bli en karaoke-version av Janis Joplin.

First song I heard was pretty boring and sounded like banging on pots and pans Couole good songs but mostly songs I didn’t like

Not sure I needed a second album from FA. It’s fine. Not great. No songs really wowed me. 2.5

She has a decent voice. Seems like an album a young person would make. Very surprised she's knocking 50 years old

I couldn't handle that ....

This plays like someone’s senior art project that they’re super proud of. My favorite part is that it ends in 40 minutes.

Gotta hand it to Ms. Apple, this definitely made me want to fetch the bolt cutters.

4/10 not my taste

Never heard this before despite knowing what I thought was

I’m not super-familiar with Fiona’s catalog but this offering certainly demonstrates a wholly unique songwriting technique. For at least the first third of album this technique is hard understand and not particularly fun to listen to. After this opening salvo the songs become a little easier to digest while maintaining a similar aesthetic. All told this makes for a somewhat unbalanced listening experience.

From the reviews, this clearly touched people deeply. I had no idea Fiona Apple had produced anything post-debut.

Fetch the Bolt Cutters feels less like a carefully produced studio album and more like an experimental diary accidentally uploaded to streaming services. On first listen, the production can genuinely sound like something stitched together in GarageBand with stock samples, odd percussion, and deliberately rough textures. The moment you discover that, yes, it was largely made with GarageBand, the reaction is half disbelief, half “ah… that explains everything.” To be fair, Fiona Apple clearly has a strong and expressive voice, and there are flashes of interesting ideas scattered throughout the album. Unfortunately, those ideas rarely come together into a coherent musical ensemble. Instead, the arrangements often feel chaotic and undercooked, as if musical structure was intentionally abandoned halfway through. At times it sounds less like bold minimalism and more like a five-year-old enthusiastically mashing an iPad keyboard after stealing it from their parent. The album’s rawness and DIY ethos will surely appeal to listeners who value artistic intent over listenability, but for others it can be an exhausting experience. In short: some talent, questionable execution, and a record that feels far more interesting to talk about than to actually sit through.

Just not for me - seems a good song writer but the music didn't gel with me.

Had listened to it when it came out, triggered a bunch of unwanted relationship memories

I prefer Fiona Windows

I like the message, freeing yourself from traumatic and toxic situations, I think the album was well put together but wasn’t for me.

4/10 - not groundbreaking but harmless

Another artist I never quite understood the critical popularity of. She only has 5 albums, and 3 of those that are not this one are considered Essential Albums in Apple Music — I always find this odd. We have this and Tidal in our 1,001. A few decent melodies, but most are just quirky for seemingly quirkiness’ sake and are not appealing.

I thought she could sing

I like some songs by Apple, but on a runtime if this album she's quite tiresome. I like experimental music too yet this album sounds a bit like someone discovered Portishead, St Vincent and PJ Harvey too late and then made something similar that's just not that deep.

I had a weird experience listening to this. I loved Tidal. I loved Fiona's voice. I loved her sophistication. Evidently, the least 25 years didn't do her favors. She can still sing and she has a lot to say, but she doesn't do either, at least not nearly enough. There's a lot of musicality here, but it never is used to accentuate what she should be showing off, which is her capable songwriting or her voice. Instead, there's repetition, trite lyrics, and more talking than singing. Shameika is a perfect microcosm for this album. She constantly repeats "Shameika said I had potential" and I can't help but think that the implication is that she never reached it, which is really how I felt about this record. The title track, ultimately, proved to be pretty aimless, especially at the end. I was excited when this showed up in my queue, but was left disappointed. Not that it was awful, but it was not nearly as great as it could have been and she can be. It was like she was trying to do a Brian Eno impression. Unfortunately, I hate Brian Eno. Too much experimentation and not enough actual forethought leads to an inferior effort.

Weirdly enough, this album is pretty recent and the songs have a lot of listens, but none of them are really that good. The singing is weird on purpose, which is fine, and it sometimes doesn't match the music playing in the background, but I guess it's alright having it playing while you're doing stuff and not properly listening to it, or maybe if you're using it for background music for edits that you make, or maybe even some weird movie background music. Overall, I am quite confused what the fanbase for this is. Under The Table was actually fairly normal. UPDATE - when the album ended, similar songs started playing, so it was still by the same artist, and the Limp song was actually pretty decent, so I guess we just got unlucky with this album.

Better than I thought it would be.

Rien à faire dans ce classement

Foidslop

There has always been something about her voice I sort of liked but I can't take it for long. Her songwriting is interesting in a broken adolescent sort of way.

Kinda catchy but just not really into it. My understanding was that this album was released during the pandemic and I'm sure it really got people through it. The song with the dog barking drove my dog nuts.

Album name is cool. But i hope i never have to listen to this again

Vocals were wackadoodle but the instrumentals were fun and unique! The dog barking was hilarious. Not something I'd listen to again but neat experience.

Feels very Ani Difranco to me. Which is not a bad thing, necessarily, but I didn’t enjoy this one.

I couldn't stand this album. It was annoying vocally. It was annoying lyrically. I'm not sure why it's so highly regarded. Fiona really doesn't bother me in the context of her earlier albums, but it's like this stuff just aged like milk. And quickly too. I was excited when my 51 minute punishment sentence was over.

2/5 - I didn't hate it but a lot of the songs irritated me. I didn't like the repetition of lyrics and something about the rhythm of the vocals really bugged me.

For some reason I just don't "get" Fiona Apple and this album didn't help, at all. The first song ends with shrieking and it didn't really get any better for me. There were a couple of decent songs but overall this was a tough listen for me.

I feel like I should like F Apple more.

Sounds like she had an interesting concept…… for 1 song. Then she recorded 13 demo’s for it and put those on an album. Nice voice tho, would’ve loved to hear her sing more instead of repeating the same sentence over and over.

Maybe I'm missing something but I didn't care much for this

This is a very… disappointing album. Fiona Apple was in her forties when this came out and it‘s her most juvenile sounding album. Maybe it‘s the production, but my main takeaway are the lyrics, she‘s still singing about the same things since her debut! This is would be like if Jay Z would still be rapping about slinging dope, i.e. JUVENILE! I‘m sorry Fiona, but this is not it.

Aika flow-musaa. Levyn loppupäässä ihan tarttuvia melodioita.

I wish I liked it more than I do

Not a fan of music with screechy screech, dogs barking, and weird noises. Jack White pulls off weird noises. IMO this does not, at all.

Enjoyed it but don’t know how often I’ll go back

2 sterne

I liked her first album a lot but the later work just didn't do much for me.

Not really my thing

TROTOS

was hard to listen to. not my cup of tea.

Meandering, aimless lyrics, unusual beats... this was kind of a mess. Fiona's voice is unmatched, though. A category of one.

Like a banana duct taped to a wall.

The vocals and lyrics weren’t my favorite. I did find the instruments interesting though.

This is so ass bro 😭

Chaos that doesn’t go anywhere

2 Stars (5/15)

A lost Joan Armatrading album meets Ani DiFranco? I like it. Don't love it. There are a whole bunch of Lucinda Williams albums that blow this out of the water that don't get so much attention.

Not sure what all of the dog barking was about

Fiona proving that women can also spew out Nick Cave-level gibberish.

Klingt wie ein Album bei dem die Texte wichtig sind. Musik und Geräusche sind vielleicht nur Verzierung. Da ich die Texte nicht verstehe bleibt mir nur die Verzierung. Die mir zu experimentell/avantgardistisch ist.

Sounds like a typical folk fest act. Clearly lots of potential Shameka is correct. I can appreciate the music and hate it at the same time somehow. The first song reminds me of Swift when she chitters at birds through the window. I found this album overall ebbs and flows between annoying and enjoyable listening throughout. Okay is this dogs now or is that coming in from the window? What are you screaming for? Hey this sounds great ah…. a step back again…. rinse and repeat. I debated turning it off many times but somehow I’m still glad I played through.

This was mostly bad. I would describe it as "industrial folk." Odd choices in production, including multiple songs where her dogs interrupted her recording and she just left it in. Lots of the vocals are spoken word and little chants and chirping noises. Weird, bad album. Low end 2/5

Sorry Pitchfork, but I didn’t care for this. Which is strange, because Fiona Apple has done some good stuff.

3/10

Not really me

Didn’t enjoy this. I wanted to because it feels creative and interesting in content, and had some similarities to artists I used to like back in the day such as Regina Spektor, but I mostly just found it noise-y and kind of grating.

Halvbra ett tag, sen tröttnade jag.

Fiona Apple is such a great and memorable name I immediately remembered having one of her albums (Tidal) early on in this process. I was not very complimentary about that which was disappointing as she has all the hallmarks to compete with the likes of Tori Amos but perhaps never with the likes of Lana Del Rey or Her Majesty Kate Bush albeit that she shares a bit of their DNA. I put this album on streaming it on Apple Music whilst my wife was sat next to me scrolling through her phone. She summed the album up halfway through the first track by exclaiming “What the hell is this?” The cause of her comment was when the song went a bit off key and weird. My wife is no muso but I had to agree with her I thought it worthwhile using my wife as a lightening rod to sum up what the general population would think of this album. After my wife had departed to do some ironing I continued with my listening session. Bit chauvinistic some would say but continuing listening to this album was not an easy or relaxing exercise. In fact I concluded that I would have preferred to put a crease down a shirt sleeve. Mrs Apple just tries to hard to be like the aforementioned superstars. Her voice isn’t bad and if she sang more natural singer songwriter softer songs instead of the needless experimentation and attacking our hearing then she would be a lot more likeable. Indeed, when halfway through this album and when my attention had wandered I found elsewhere on Apple Music her rendition of Heart Of Gold which was a whole lot better than anything on this album and proves my point. She’s still got a top name though! 2/5 1/9/25

This is a little too much for me. There’s merit to it, of course, but it’s not for me.

Not very good. Some tracks later in the album we decent, but I wasn’t ready for her complete artistic liberties in some of the songs.

This just isn't aimed at me. I can see who it is aimed, but this is my rating. I'm glad this exists

Didn't really resonate with me

This is one of Fiona's worst albums IMO. Not sure why it made the list

I like Newspaper that's about it. I don't know anything about Fiona Apple other than her big hits in the 90's when she was super young. This comes off as a self produced sort of journal which for me when it works, it really works. In this case I didn't really find much to grab on to. Elements with seemingly different recording fidelity sit weirdly in the mix sometimes. And improvised percussion has a sweet spot where a novel sound can make the song but if you're just gonna beat on an old suitcase with a zoom h4n or something when you can hire a drummer just hire the drummer

Just not my thing again 1.5 rounded to 2

this is the type of music where you need to care about lyrics. because the music side kinda sucks. it’s more experimental and ‘art’ rather than enjoyable to listen to music imo. and i don’t care about lyrics. so i didn’t like this very much. some cool stuff here and there

Tried way too hard.

I didn't like it so much, some instrumental are nice but a bit boring to listen to the whole album

Not sure I enjoyed this one to be fair. After only a few tracks I was losing all interest. I’m not sure I see the appeal of this one.

wild!! Crazy that this was released in 2020?

Talented but not for me. Leave the cutters where they are.

Genre bending, yes, but using pop mechanics of repetition within songs seems to be trying to communicate a mode…sort of an abstraction made by painting clear bold lines. Effective? Maybe. In any case it’s not my bag.

I don't get all the hype around this album like yeah it's cool she learned how to play all the instruments on it but outside of that the album doesn't really go anywhere. The instrumention doesn't really do anything outside of the title track "Fetch The Bolt Cutters" which definitely has some unique production but not outside of a 6.5/10. The other song I like quite a bit would be "Heavy Balloon" which has a interesting production to it but not anything more than a 5/10 5/10 album very middle of the ground album to me. Overrated

Not awful, but definitely not good. This felt more like an emotional purge than an album. Too self-indulgent to connect with and too musically scattered to admire. The clatter of household percussion and stream-of-consciousness lyrics might pass as bold experimentation for some, but for me it landed closer to an amateur, half-assed effort. The only thing saving it from a one-star burn is, hey, we all did weird shit in 2020.

So sol

There were better things to come out of Covid. This is experimental renderings and not very interesting

1.75

A 2.5 stars for me, it didn’t really float my boat.

Album 823 of 1089 Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters (2020) Rating : 2.5 / 5 This was a fine listen. Not much to complain about—just a solid, well-made album from an artist who clearly knows her voice and vision. Some really decent tunes in the mix, though it didn’t quite rise above “good album… next” for me. Fiona Apple is definitely an interesting performer, and five albums in, she’s still doing what she does with a lot of strength and confidence. There’s something cool about her staying true to her own creative path all these years.

I loathed this as much as I loved Tidal. What a waste of time.

It’s kind of intriguing but I don’t get the weird dolphin sounds and dogs barking, it really throws off the vibes of the songs

Thought it was interesting. Glad I got to hear Fiona Apple because I’ve heard of her but never heard her music. Not my favorite.

Her stuff is kinda weird, like Regina Spektor. Not really much cup of tea, but I imagine there are a ton of people who find this album formative.

The album was interesting musically. Clearly, this woman fashions herself as quirky and tailors her music and lyrics towards personal experience. However, given most of her works were in the 90s, and this album was from 2020, I fear she may need to get over herself. Unfortunately, as I am not an angsty, ostracised, young girl of 16-21, this music was not for me.

2 1/2 I was thinking I would like this album more than I did. There were a couple of good songs but the rest was too disjointed. I like her other albums more.

Her voice is fine, but wish there was more in terms of instrumentation, and less random sound effects. It's not really my thing

This actually hurt my head to listen to

Roller coaster ride - hated some and loved some.

Didn’t love this started ok but went downhill. Never listened to apple before don’t know if they’re all like this

Nope. Appreciate the art and effort that went into the album but it’s not my sound

Trash.

She wants to be Tom Waits so bad. Too experimental. Too pretentious. But her voice is pretty so... ?

Tedium to terrible

THIS is the album that people said was a "masterpiece" back in 2020...? I mean... I guess words don't mean anything anymore if you're calling THIS combination of noises a masterpiece. I don't hate it, but I just don't see any value in this. There will be an interesting riff or some cool lyrics then... dolphin sounds. Also I'm no audiophile by any means and rarely notice production quality unless it's BAD and here it was BAD. It just sounds cheaply made and I cannot see why people revere this album so much.

The only word I can come up with to describe this album is "Unfocused"

It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve heard so far on this list, but it just wasn’t for me.

Fiona is a great poet and lyricist, and her voice has aged in a beautiful way. Her sound is so unique, and it is often imitated but never duplicated. But this album is boring, slow, repetitive, and just not good. I don't know when this album got added to this list, but I don't feel it fits. Fiona's poetry wins it some point but there is nothing in the record that makes be think she is changing the game, influencing the future, or anything that makes it worth a 1001 before you die record. 4.5/10 #56/1001

I listened to this one when it first released. I didn't quite like it. On a relisten, I respect it a bit more. Still not a huge fan, however. The idea is there, but in execution, it lacks. Maybe it's the overall raw production that hinders it for me. ⭐⭐1/2

Vegetable cutters. I can't unhear it. This sounds like every other modern woman who doesn't sing properly, but with added artsy fartsy.

There were some elements that I enjoyed but overall it wasn’t for me. Highlights were, ‘Heavy Balloon’

1.5

Niet voor mij. Soort van mijn straatje maar vind het echt niet heel erg leuk om naar te luisteren.

I had it in my head that I liked Fiona Apple but this album has proved me wrong. I completely get the appeal and the reason why it's on the list but the whole listening experience painful. Just because you're lyrically talented and profound doesn't mean I should bugger through noise garbage that makes my skin itch. I can handle experimentation but I draw the line at arty. Call me a curmudgeon, but I like my music to be musical. God. I feel like an old grumpy person. Fiona Apple you made me an old grumpy person.

May have revisit, listened to a few tracks could not make it through.

More traumatising than the pandemic itself.

Weird

Sappy Singer songwriter, high quality I guess just not my style

In a nutshell: on she goes. Dear Pitchfork staff. I think it’s time for a retrospective review of this album. At time of writing, it’s been five years since you gave it a 10 (a rare high score for those playing at home). I agree with your observation of FTBC being “a wild symphony of the everyday”. It’s a departure from Apple’s earlier work. As for “an unyielding masterpiece”, you may want to circle back on that. Cheers Overall: 3/10

There's definitely a great voice hidden in there, be nice to hear it having a go at, you know, actual songs. The drumming is great; rhythm & melody keep threatening to break out. The ingredients of a great album are all there & it's shame they weren't used properly.

Couldn't finish it. Wasn't really terrible, but I'm behind on a few albums and this one didn't engage me enough to take the time to listen all the way through.

3/10 - it was a little to weird for me. The first song ended weird and it just stayed the same the rest of the time. I could see how someone likes this but not for me

A creative album but I found the constant chopping and changing of rhythms a bit too dissonant for my liking

Some decent moments, but the rest was just so boring.

Perhaps because piano is so prevalent, I was reminded me of high school musicals. Not in a good way. Includes experimental rhythms in the percussion, and vocal dissonance and repetition, but all of that becomes boring. I know I'm supposed to like this, but I just don't. I bet the drummer had fun though. ⭐⭐ ________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 77 🎧 LPs left to review: 924 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 18 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 19 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 20

God, I'm just glad it's over...

Not quite.

Less of an album and more like unconventional poetry. Lyrically, comes off a bit immature to me. It does have some highs and clearly unique compositional choices, but not really the style of Fiona I prefer.

I like her album "When the pawn..." (the title goes on for a bit longer than that). And everything since is just not my thing in the end. Firstly, you obviously have to wait ages before anything is actually released. And then you listen to it, admire her voice, admire the care she puts into every little sound. But then you also find that her songs sound like they're about to burst open into something truly great and transforming. And then they never really do. Instead you end up feeling like you're listening to loads of great ideas arranged fairly chaotically and without enough focus. A bit like a weaker Tom Waits album. There, I said it. Also, lyrically were still mostly looking at variations of the same themes as 25 years ago.

Alright, but nothing spectacular.

1.5

point7.

Meh. Felt like an early 90s high school riot girl/ folk band in which everyone can kind of play an instrument but doesn’t know how to play together

Started off well, but unfortunately constant swearing although this may be thought to be edgy by some. It became boring after a while

Fetch the bolt cutters and get me out of here.

Why the fuck is this album on this list? And why does Fiona Apple have 2 albums on this list? Modern day Kate Bush. This album is made up predominantly of garbage. The album cover is dumb as fuck to match the album. Favourite songs: Heavy Balloon, Under the Table Least favourite songs: I Want You to Love Me (a perfectly good song that for some reason has a chicken getting railed for the last 30 seconds of the song), Fetch the Bolt Cutters (1 minute of dogs barking to finish this song off..... Wtf), Newspaper, Ladies, For Her, On I Go 2/5

# 407 : nnng! I just can't get the hype for Fiona Apple - I can listen to it, but I found it drawn out, tedious and boring. Nothing really grabbed me - not even the so called hits and if the music isn't good, I'm not sure I need to hear it before I die. Thanks.

Was having a good streak lately but this album balanced it out by being an absolute snoozefest. I don't NOT like the almost spoken word singing style but her voice just doesnt work that way. So eventually every song started sounding the same and I genuinely don't know why this is so critically acclaimed.

Some fun percussion arrangements but the gushing from critics really baffles me.

While the production and release timeline behind the album is interesting, her vocals and lyrics are meaningless and uninteresting. There are some nice back beats here, but it overall doesn't appeal to me.

I faintly remember really liking Tidal, but I can’t stand this one. No memorable songs, maybe except for Cosmonauts, lots of jazz-influence on the vocals, which I don’t like. It might be a good and important album, but it’s not for me

Nunca he podido sintonizar con Fiona Apple, pero no ha sido por falta de voluntad de mi parte. Sólo he comulgado con Criminal y creo que una canción más. Este álbum parece ser bastante personal para ella, pero así son todos sus álbumes en realidad. Es la sonoridad mi problema. No hacemos click.

Genuinely really bad, especially for Fiona Apple, and I liked "When The Pawn —" whas'it. I'm really not a fan of her vocal delivery on the album: She sounds deliberately edgy and depressed, and it feels like she's trying to stay relevant against other "emo" (?!?) musicians in the scene. That's a damn shame, 'cus I remember Fiona Apple for her impassioned vocals and raw delivery. Fiona's new music style doesn't suit her at all. Lowkey not sure what message she was trying to pass.

An album to appreciate rather than love. Lost interest halfway through. Be interested to know how many of those who gave it a perfect score on metacritic actually listen to it regularly. I bet their Spotify wrapped tells a different story.

Hated the dolphin-core towards the end of the first song... The instruments are so boring and the piano seems off. I know this was written and recorded during the pandemic, which explains why it was made all alone in a room with forks, walls, the neighbors dog and her singing in the shower.

There were some really good tracks on this album, but there was also a song that sounded like someone assaulting a chicken.

Honk snooooo… First song was cool, like Trent Reznor mixed with PJ Harvey cool, otherwise boring, forgot I listened to it tbh.

I felt like I should've liked this more, I appreciate the alternativeness of it, and she has fantastic vocals, but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe it's one for a relisten later down the line.

More irritating than interesting, unfortunately.

I’d never heard of this artist before and it’s highly likely that I’ll never listen to them again. The music just didn’t draw me in and left no impact whatsoever

Not for me

Weird, monotonous & not really enjoyable.

Fiona Apple's debut album "Tidal" was a masterpiece, so I'm not discounting her as an artist when I say that this low-production value, self-indulgent album reeks of someone who is trying to hard to be "artistic". I'm convinced the only reason this album received critically acclaim is because the "recorded in a bedroom closet" sound captured a moment during the COVID-19 lockdown that many people can relate to. Listening to this some years later, the Tarzan "Trashin' the Camp" percussions comes off as cheap and lazy instead of inspired. And Apple's psedo-spoken word lyrics clash with the would-be rhythms of piano and bass. None of the magic captured in her first couple of albums is here. When I read that she recorded and produced this herself, I wasn't surprised. It shows...and not in a good way. To me, a couple of interesting tracks redeem this from a total 1-star failure. If you want to hear good angsty, dark, power-female pop, go listen to "Tidal."

Sounded about like an album recorded in someone’s apartment. I get she has some anger and depression issues, but a whole album of sounding angry and whining is not good.

You don’t have to complain every song. The world isn’t that bad nor is her life

Nice voice and I liked the instrumentation but she just kinda repeated the same lyrics over and over again for most of the songs. Did not like that, lyrics were kinda eh and not very enjoyable also just kinda weird. Not my jam also didn’t feel good while listening to it so that may have impacted its rating negatively.

that was a long 52 minutes. she's got a great voice, just was a bit too angst/whiny/all over the place

This one feels a bit lazy. There wasn't a whole lot I liked about it other than the drums on a few of the songs. She has the potential to do something really great, but I don't think she put it all into this one. Favorites were Newspaper and Heavy Balloon

Tedious

Started off interesting. Rapidly became tedious.

I remember when this was released to critical acclaim (10 by Pitchfork), but I could not get into it then and I can’t get into it now

There’s a glimmer of good songs here but then she goes off on one. I must admit to finding this kind of insufferable.

Boring and obnoxious

One good song. Lots of meh ones

Musically I didn’t mind it but Fiona Apple sounds like a terrible dinner party companion.

I endured this a second time to confirm what I already knew after listening it to it the first time…..that this not very good. Meanwhile the near universal praise for this album from the critics confuses me. 5 stars and 10 out of 10’s everywhere. Are they listening to the same album? Or am I just a crusty old GenXer that’s out of touch?....No it’s the critics who are wrong.

Probably great music for live concerts. But as an album, it doesn't work for me. Not for casual listening, and if you do listen, you get depressed.

this was a little out there. not into it

with all the hype I hear around Fiona Apple, I had high expectations. Not really a fan of her singing style

I'm not sure about this one. I didn't wholly enjoy the experience of listening to this album, it has a bunch of the ingredients I would normally like, and it had some good bits and some boring bits. Parts reminded me of Coco Rosie and Suzanne Vega - but also felt repetitive in spots. On the whole it was ok, but not sure I'd come back for another listen

Art Pop imposing you shall like but missing a distinctive sound, storytelling or voice.

Gemaakt om anders te zijn. We kennen de artiesten die zichzelf teveel als eigenwijze kunstenaar zien inmiddels wel. En gelukkig is de zang van het eerste nummer (I Want Youououououououou te Love Me) dan ook verschrikkelijk en eindigt dat nummer met belachelijke kreetjes. Mooi kan ik het ook helemaal afkraken! Maar dan wordt het vervelend, want af en toe pakt die licht schurende stem die wat los staat van de muziek mij ineens. Vind ik zo'n rare frats toch wel weer leuk. Gelukkig kan ik het halverwege toch echt niet meer aan. Hoef ik deze geforceerde kunst toch mooi geen voldoende te geven.

Een album met de naam van een Moersleutel bier. En dan ook nog van iemand die appel heet. Het moet niet gekker worden. Maar dat wordt het uiteraard wel, want we hebben hier te maken met een Joni Mitchell adept. Een gilkrijsend stuk vreten, dat artistiek probeert te zijn. Vrouwelijke Rufus Wainwright. Ik kan daar zo slecht tegen, dat ik het maar gelijk op heb gezet om er zo snel mogelijk van af te zijn. Want ik weet vooraf al dat dit een laag cijfer gaat worden. Er zit gelukkig genoeg afwisseling in, dat het kleine uur relatief gemakkelijk uit te horen is. Wat Joni, wat Christina Aguilera, wat Stevie Nicks, ik mis nog een Madonna song, maar die zal zo wel komen. En er zit ook iets recents in, maar dat ken ik natuurlijk niet. Laten we dat Taylor Swift noemen ofzo, want dat hele oeuvre ken ik dan weer wel. Ik ga het een 2 geven, omdat ik ook weer niet zo zuur ben, dat ik het vooraf een 1 geef. Zelfs bij Joni doe ik dat niet. Ik luister het keurig af en probeer zo objectief mogelijk een oordeel te vormen en te vellen. Maar dit is gewoon niet mijn smaak. En gelukkig hoeft dat ook niet altijd. Hopelijk valt de Moersleutel Remblock die ik vanavond in het kader van Boktober open ga trekken beter in de smaak.

Not for me.

I cannot stand her voice. It’s like annoying talking

Not in my edition of the book! 2020. 2 stars. Strong voice let down by a lack of standout tunes, and poor quality control - judicious editing on the length of most of the songs and unnecessary "extras" like dogs barking would have swung this to a 3. And when she realises that a song might contain more than one repeated verse, she could be quite good.

Was intrigued on my first lesson a few songs in but got bored as it went on. Two more listens over two further days and it actually gets a bit more annoying on every listen. Under the Table in particular gets pretty draining after the third listen. It's a really interesting style but sadly a bit grating for some reason. Not my fave.

I feel like her first couple of albums were not just more important, but better...

Not bad

Disappointed with this.

Oh god, no. Whining, bitter quasi-feminist music has its place, but not here. Old news; this genre had a good run, but just sounds dated and irrelevant now. Get over it, find a new love, and move the fuck forward!

New(ish) Fiona Apple? Okay, I honestly did not know anything existed after her first album. It’s fine, not likely to crack my rotation anytime soon.

Meh Not bad, but I dont like it

Regina Spektor clears by a mile

I think it was definitely decent, I like her voice and I think she has a unique way of attacking albums, not my favourite project in the world but excited to hear more from her!

Some songs are okay but I don’t see how it’s considered one of the best albums

Tendentious, obviously, but oh so tedious. Aggressively talkative and more noisy than musical, like a dinner party guest convinced that she's more interesting than she is. Title cut, with some nice brush drumming, is the least annoying track, likely because it's the quietest. "Ladies" has its moments. The chorus on "Under the Table" ("I won't shut up/I won't shut up") really should've been the name of the song and the entire record. One doesn't consider it a complement to say it's like she just made a midlde-aged version of her '90s records. The playing gets a bit more interesing but the vamping dominates the records, which wears one down, eventually. She wants to be – what, exactly? She's angrier than Joni Mitchell, though just as inclined to emotional sloppiness. She's less poetic than Rickie Lee Jones. Considerably less talented a vocalist than Tori Amos, less bitingly witty than Aimee Mann, who's also a better singer.

Kept waiting for this to get better, it didn’t. I like Fiona apple but this just didn’t hit the spot

Didn’t really do much for me.

Bastante rollo.

Nothing really engaged me on this album.

The album started pretty decent and then the end of the first song assaulted me with a tribute to Yoko Ono, which I did not appreciate. Newspaper was alright

About 2 minutes in to the first track, I realized this album wasn't likely for me and buckled down for what was a long, long ride. To say I'd rank this at a one star—something I don't appreciate as a whole, nor a album that I ever intend to return to—is entirely accurate but feels like an unjust disservice to Ms. Apple. However—and I hate how skewed Throbbing Gristle made this rating scale—this album is a masterpiece compared to other one-star rated albums in my mental ranking. I am very tempted to grant this album a mercy star for several reasons: 1. If it were instrumental only, I think I would be more intrigued, a trend I've noticed for several albums I've ranked low. There are certain performances or vocal styles that just don't click with me, but I don't think that makes them inherently bad. 2. Track three samples a dog barking, and its tone leads me to feel like the artist is a pretty alright person and possibly someone that's in to animal rescue. 3. Reading some of her lyrics standalone, like poetry, seems to work well—minus some of the repetition that exists of course since it's set to music. I just can't comprehend the words when in the music. 4. I'm in to track 9, Heavy Balloon. There, I've convinced myself: Two stars. I can appreciate its merits, but I have no interest in listening to this album again because it just doesn't speak to, convict, stir, inspire, entertain, or otherwise excite any response or emotion from me but a desire to listen to something else—or nothing.

I really only thought the bolt cutters song deserved a second listen. Not sure why this album was critically acclaimed? Probably why I never listened to it in the first place. Sorry Fiona, loved you in Shameless though!