Fiona Apple
Tidal
1996, Clean Slate/Work
alt rock, soul
I’ve mentioned before that my musical education pop began in 1997. Well, I still remember the single “Criminal” from that time as one of the songs that really shaped my musical tastes, and my recent ‘rediscovery’ of this album only makes me appreciate Fiona Apple that much more.
If one were to really describe Apple’s voice, I’d say she is the vocal child of Jane Monheit and Grace Slick with double Slick’s charisma. The strength of vocal delivery despite the fact that she doesn’t have the typical pop voice, and the astonishing array of styles she shows in Tidal indicates a pop star in the truest sense of the term: a vocalist who can convincingly inhabit and deliver every song she sings, regardless of lyrics or style. The fact that the lyrics to this album are just as respectable as her vocal ability set aside Apple as a star to begin with. It’s too easy to swim aurally through this album and not even realize that you’re listening to distinct songs. If there’s any album from this month’s set of reviews that you must listen to, it is this one.
“Sleep to Dream,” “Never Is A Promise,” “The First Taste.”
myspace, last.fm
Bird York’s The Velvet Hour, Stephanie Dosen’s A Lily For The Spectre
½
“Northern Skies,” “Us 2 Little Gods,” “Never Want to Say It’s Love,” and “It Comes And It Goes.”
