Fiona Apple — Home — What’s Cool?

Eight years after her critically-acclaimed album The Idler Wheel…, Fiona Apple has returned with the long-awaited release of her newest project Fetch The Bolt Cutters. In the time between records, Apple has both refined her sound and grown comfortable enough to express the pent-up emotions which make this such a compelling release. From the vocal performance to the addicting and tension-building melodies throughout, there is very little I would change about Fetch The Bolt Cutters.

Fiona Apple may be the only artist I can think of who can pull off leading with an opening-track which initially sounds like a grand piano ballad that then ends in manic dolphin-like sounds. “I Want You To Love Me” does just that while simultaneously setting the tone for the coming tracks, which is moody, raw, and desperate at times in all the right ways. The second track, “Shameika”, is a track I have trouble comparing to any song I’ve ever heard. The chorus is inspiring, and the backing instrumentation is amazing here. I love and respect the idea of Fiona Apple holding onto the confidence given to her offhandedly by the validation of a Black girl when she was younger. The title track of this record is perhaps the quarantine anthem, as we are all thinking about how we’ve “been in here too long”.

This album’s momentum never slows. Opening track four, “Under The Table”, with the lines “I would beg to disagree, but begging disagrees with me”, proves Apple’s brilliant lyricism. Each song has something unique to offer, providing various perspectives on an array of issues in which Apple seems to condemn the world around her. I can’t blame her for doing so. Song after song, from “Relay” and “Rack of His” to “Newspaper” and “Ladies” offers a unique sonic and thematic composition which make this album singularly unique. “Heavy Balloon” and “Cosmonauts” deal with heavy subject matter without being overbearing or preachy. Everything here is just perfect.

This album climaxes on the incredibly introspective and expository “For Her”, which left my jaw on the floor. Apple seems to have processed the traumas relayed to her by a friend on this project, which is a cathartic expression of angst and a general disapproval of the system. “Drumset” and “On I Go”, the album’s closing tracks, serve as a perfect epilogue to the non-narrative story told by this album, which packs so much substance into its runtime.

This is very much Fiona’s project as she wrote every song on the album. Fetch The Bolt Cutters is receiving well-deserved critical acclaim. I highly recommend getting lost in this project - it has joined my permanent library of albums on rotation. When a record is as perfect as this one is, there’s little that can be justified or explained that fully encapsulates its significance. Go listen to this album - there’s nothing to change about it, and everything to gain by experiencing it. Thanks for reading.

Favorite tracks: “I Want You To Love Me”, “Shameika”, “Fetch The Bolt Cutters”, “Under The Table”, “Relay”, “Rack Of His”, “Newspaper”, “Ladies”, “Cosmonauts”, “For Her”, “Drumset”

SCORE: 10/10