Apple, Fiona / Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will...

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2012-06-23 Pull Date: 2012-08-26
Week Ending: Aug 26 Aug 19 Aug 12 Aug 5 Jul 22 Jul 15 Jul 8 Jul 1
Airplays: 3 1 1 3 1 1 2 3

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Album Review
Wallace Brontoon
Reviewed 2012-06-23
Fiona Apple
The Idler Wheel is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
Reviewed 6-23-2012
Hervey Okkles

Fiona Apple, her first in seven years. And a REALLY long title. This is a great release, about as good as that sorta "singer-songwriter" sound will ever be. Weird, off-kilter vocalizations, and man, can she sing in weird directions. Minimalist accompaniment throughout... all plinky little rinky-dink piano, some minimal amateurish drumming, some clicking or clacking everywhere else. A very clean sound in her voice, which is magnetic and compelling, but lo-fi and county-fair ramshackle in its instrumentation. Abstract lyrics with nice interesting words everywhere.

It's weirdo chanteuse, basically. But it's all well, well realized. RIYL: Melanie (does it possibly help anybody to say this sounds like Melanie?), Aimee Mann & Regina Spektor (although this is better). But basically, Melanie, in the best way possible.

1. (3:33) ** Plinky toy piano. Minimal. Some jangling. Full voice on top of everything. Enchanting, hypnotizing, offkilter chanteuse near-yodeling at parts..
2. (3:28) ** More plinky piano, but chanting with background harmonies, kinda spooky and thundery, weird and cool multi-rhythms...
3. (3:32) Very Jon Brion. Sad piano, breaks into a happier drive. A bit orthodox and standard, but with a "you you you" unnatural repetition which is pretty neat.
4. (5:03) * Climbing piano work, joined by askew sideways vocals... weird trashcan percussion later. An angry dirge.
5. (4:50) ** Odd dull drumming intro, repetitive walking piano, then rushed jazzy vocals. '50s jazz for a detective TV show sound. High notes are reached for dubious reasons. Drumming gets manic.
6. (3:12) A bit too pop-sounding in melody... it's about werewolves, but it's a miss.
7. (4:58) ** Circular piano loops, full-sharped-edge voice... A little belty, but goes some weird places, and some nice harmony joins in. Ends with a lot of what sounds like feet walking on gravel.
8. (5:16) Kinda dull, boring... worth missing.
9. (4:40) Soda bottle percussion... another fairly staid track, but pretty.
10. (4:02) ** Weird energy opens it... with tympani going wild. Backing tracks enter, schizophrenic and weird, scatting about butter. Gets chatter and cluttered by end.

Track Listing
1. Every Single Night   6. Werewolf
2. Daredevil   7. Periphery
3. Valentine   8. Regret
4. Jonathan   9. Anything We Want
5. Left Alone   10. Hot Knife