![]() ![]() Out of all those traits of hers that come through so clearly on Fetch the Boltcutters, my favorite is her intolerance for bullshit, which was made famous in her speech at the 1997 VMAs. When I listen to this album, I feel like I know exactly who Fiona Apple is. Leaving these in is just another way Fetch the Bolt Cutters reduces the distance between itself and the listener, which, along with the emotional, biographical lyrics, gives it an unparalleled level of intimacy. In the closing track, “On I Go,” Apple can be heard saying “oh fuck, shit!” after presumably screwing up a take. “Mistakes” are left in the recording, most notably dogs barking in the background (five are credited on the album with “backing barks,” “collar jangles,” and “thrashing”). The instrumentation is heavily focused on rhythms, with Apple’s familiar piano playing a part along with miscellaneous percussion (which I suspect is just from things lying around her house) and drumming from her friend, Amy Aileen Wood. In every element of these songs, Apple is breaking down the barriers of pretension and performance, until all that’s left is just her voice, her stories and the truth. Fetch the Bolt Cutters is about the closest a trained, talented musician has come to capturing that magic. My argument in favor of them was that, while their music sounded unpleasant, there was a pureness and authenticity to it that is almost never heard, because it was made with no desire to impress and contained no references to other music. I’ve written a decent amount about The Shaggs, who were untrained sisters who possessed little knowledge or training in music, yet still recorded an album at the behest of their father, which ended up becoming a cult classic. The lyrics get so much of the attention, but the sound is just as big a part of this. That’s a gift that shouldn’t be taken lightly, and albums like this are why I listen to music. Albums like Apple’s are the closest you can get to walking in another person’s shoes because of the blunt, vivid truths in her lyrics and the authenticity of her performance. I can try to live with empathy and do my best to understand other people with different experiences, but I can’t really know. As a man, I realize it looks weird that I’m almost always celebrating the work of women, but part of it is how much I value this aspect of art. “We’re the only ones who will ever know.”īut now, through these songs, people will know a little bit, even if they don’t have the specifics. “You and I won’t get a witness,” she adds. “I wonder what lies he’s telling you about me to make sure we can never be friends,” she muses, backed by a variety of percussion and backing vocals. On “Newspaper,” she describes a previous partner who caught her up in “his big show” and then began seeing another woman, who Apple felt an unspoken bond with. Now, Apple is comfortable just saying the truth and embracing the harshness of it. You raped me in the same bed your daughter was born in.” It’s a far cry from “Sullen Girl” from Tidal, which couched its story of rape in a metaphor about a man taking her pearl and leaving a shell. The most jarring moment, on “For Her,” comes after a couple minutes of a fun-sounding ditty when the song stops and Apple matter-of-factly states “Good morning. A lot of Apple’s lyrics on Fetch the Bolt Cutters deal with uncomfortable subjects of abuse and gaslighting at the hands of men, especially the way they impacted her mindset and her friendships with other women. ![]() That’s an underrated and increasingly rare trait in art - the idea of the work as a way to deepen your understanding of other people. The level of detail and specificity in these songs makes the album transcend the idea of confessional songwriting: this isn’t just a little window into Apple’s world, it is her world, and anyone who listens is living in it for its entire duration. Every song on this album is one that only Fiona Apple could have made, with words that only she would say. If you’re like me and think of music primarily as a vehicle for personalities and charisma, it is hard for anything to top this. Fiona Apple’s new album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters, is receiving nearly unprecedented critical praise, and deservedly so. I think that should give new listeners enough time to get familiar with Fiona's discography.It’s nice that we can all agree. ) are allowed and commentary is highly encouraged! I will leave the voting open until Sunday, 22 February 2015. ) and, in an effort to avoid too many ties, quarter points (8.25, 9.75. You probably won't regret it.Īs always, please rate each song on a scale from 0 (who are we kidding here?) to 10. Some of the YouTube videos aren't exactly "high quality" so I'd recommend listening to the albums on Spotify or actually buying them. Let me know if any of the links aren't working for you and I will try to replace them. ![]()
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