Did Fiona Apple Just Release a Perfect Album?

Switched on Pop

Vox Media Podcast Network

Music Interviews, Music History, Music, Music Commentary

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2020

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Since 1996, Fiona Apple has only ever had one hit, “Criminal.” nulltheless, every album she’s released has been nominated for a Grammy. Her newest work, Fetch The Bolt Cutters, has received near universal acclaim. Apple’s songs are simultaneously idiosyncratic and relatable, tackling unusual themes for pop songs: middle school bullies, uncomfortable dinner conversation, toxic masculinity and female friendship. Apple accompanies her idiosyncratic lyrics with homemade percussion and only minimal piano. The final product is on the borderline between crafted composition and impromptu improvisation. It is this duality which makes the work relatable and timeless. Her two song suite “I Want You To Love Me” and “Shameika” have connections to Beethoven, Yeats, and Patti Smith, which we break down in the first half. And listeners call in during the second half to share what moved them about the album. Songs Discussed Fiona Apple - Fast As You Can, Criminal, Under The Table, I Want You To Want Me, Shameika, Fetch The Bolt Cutters, Ladies, Heavy Balloon Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata Patti Smith - Gloria: In Excelsis Deo Van Morrison - Gloria Support explainer journalism — all things pop included — by making a contribution to Vox today: Visit bit.ly/givepodcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for this show comes from the Genesis GB70 Performance SUV. Every Genesis is a reminder
0:07.6	to try something bold to keep growing, keep hustling. At Genesis, they've harnessed all
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0:41.2	GB70 is waiting for you. What will you begin? Learn more at Genesis.com. Genesis, keep beginning.
0:58.8	The critical consensus is in. A masterpiece has been released. I'm on the edge of my seat. What are we talking
1:11.9	about here, Joe?
1:28.8	Welcome to Switched On Pop. I'm songwriter Charlie Harding. And I'm musicologist Nate Sloan.
1:41.3	Fiona Apple has released her fifth album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters. And this thing is being declared
1:48.6	a masterpiece. Yeah, I haven't seen this much buzz about an album release in… I don't know,
1:56.4	Charles. It's been a minute. So for those who might not be familiar, a quick rundown as fast as we can.
2:14.3	I see what you did there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fiona Apple is known. Of course, for her song criminal,
2:19.4	it's the only song I've ever peaked on the Billboard. It went up to number 21 in 1997.
2:27.3	Good.
2:35.5	So in some ways, we could think of her as a one hit wonder. And yet every album that she's ever released
2:41.4	has been nominated for a Grammy. Of course, this album is just out. We don't know about its future
2:47.2	awards, but the critical consensus has been overwhelming. Probably the most bold review has been by
2:54.5	Pitchfork, who in all of their history have only given out two perfect 10 reviews. And now this is
3:02.2	the third. Is that right? Yeah, yeah. Whoa. Yeah. Wait, before we talk, Mar, I need to know
3:06.9	what the other two reviews are. Okay, so I know that the one prior was Kanye's beautiful dark
	...

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