Fiona Apple's new album is available for streaming now. It's getting raves. Pitchfork gave it a rare perfect 10. Giving it a first listen now, very experimental but exhilarating. Good stuff.

I probably can't even name two Fiona Apple songs, but I am really enjoying this. Listened through it a couple times already while working from home.

Listened to it this morning after my friend told me about the Pitchfork 10. It’s not for me.

it's fantastic

She dated PTA in the Early 90's which gave way to some cool music videos

Thanks Decker. Criminal is the very popular one I remember. Those other two don't ring any bells.

I'd never seen the "Paper Bag" video, thanks!

This New Yorker piece from last month is worth a read.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...al-sensitivity

I found this rather amusing:
She had quit cocaine years earlier, after spending “one excruciating night” at Quentin Tarantino’s house, listening to him and Anderson brag. “Every addict should just get locked in private movie theatre with Q.T. and P.T.A. on coke, and they'll never do it again," she joked.

I also learned she dated Louis C.K.

I listened to Idler Wheel when it first came out and it was getting rave reviews.... it did nothing for me. Perhaps I need to give it and this new album a new chance.

Although that P4K score means nothing to me.

It's a really good album, but definitely her least accessible and it challenges you.
She came out swinging with this one.

The reviews for this are incredible. Currently at 100% based on 17 reviews on metacritic.

Hopefully she doesn't go another 8 years between albums.

2nd favorite album of hers behind When the Pawn ..

I will never be able to appreciate this woman's music, no matter how good it might be, because of the sheer pretensiousness of it. That 40-something word album title was just plain obnoxious. I'm all for breaking rules, but only if there's a need. I wish I'd been an album reviewer for Rolling Stone or something at the time. I would always be sure to use the full title of the album several times in the review, keeping very much in mind the word limit on the review imposed by the magazine. It's sort of like when Prince became a non-pronounceable symbol. Notice he went back to having a regular name?

I liked this album more on second listen. It is growing on me. It is weird though. Some of the lyrics are so repetitious it's maddening. "Relay" may only have one line of lyrics, the "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" of modern Indie music.
I don't know how I would review it. It's not bad by any means but it is a strange albums and not a single catchy song in the bunch.

My daughter is waiting with bated breath for Anthony Fantano's review. Apparently no music is really acceptable until he gives it the thumbs up, or something. Anyway, his opinion is very important to her and she's mad that he didn't put up his review right away

Was able to listen on Youtube (a few ads between some of the songs) and, well, it's a Fiona Apple album. Not to be too pedestrian, but nothing really jumped out at me as a "hit single".

I'll have to give it more time, maybe it's one of those albums I'll play in the background and let it sink in over time.

I listened to a few songs, and find it pretty -meh-.

Not terrible, but kind of boring and uninteresting. I think she's hit that point that most musicians hit, when they've run out of things to say and become kind of pedestrian.

Anyone who pens the line "Well good morning! You raped me in the same bed your daughter was born in" hasn't totally run out of things to say.

Fantano usually takes a week+ after an album's release to put his review up. He's one of the best modern day music critics out there right now, he lacks the pretension of Pitchfork and the old man syndrome of Rolling Stone.

I'd be pretty proud of my daughter (who is presumably on the younger side?) if she was trusting in Fantano's opinions already. Shows she has good, adventurous taste. I'd expect that she'd outgrow basing her opinion off his with age, but if you're gonna trust in a reviewer, you could do a lot worse.

The only other music site I keep up with is AllMusic.

It's okay, but wildly overrated by the critics. As predicted, Pitchfork absolutely fucking creamed themselves over it and gave it a perfect 10.

Wall, fantano didn't love it (6/7)

I think it is an interesting record in many ways. The drum programming is top notch and clever. The chant based lyrics grab me. Lots of moments that make me want to come back for more. Not sure how much I'll re visit though. Pitchfork doomed any chance of people giving it a real shot with their praise. I love that she put it out while every other band is postponing their releases. Makes for an interesting art vs. commerce conversation.

Apple is a singular talent though.

His review:

anyone know if this one will get a physical release? hopefully CD if we're being specific?

Yup.

-sigh- I'll probably end up buying the CD as a completist.

I'll try to give it another listen today.

Don't waste your money then. If you don't like it it will sit there and you could have done other things with that $15. At some point you'll have to move or will die like the rest of us and you'll be kicking yourself in the ass at all the random $15 on cds you bought just to be a "completionist". I speak from reference as I was almost that guy in the past.

A good point, and I'm aware of that. A few years back we downsized from a house into a condo and had to let go of a lot of excess stuff. Some I'm still annoyed I let go, but a lot I've never thought about again.

But someone like Fiona Apple I'll make space for since I consider them a cut above the rest and they're worth it for being part of my archive of music.