Style: Experimental, piano-driven rock; compare to Tori Amos, Regina Spektor
The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
Legacy Recordings
June 19, 2012
Top Tracks: “Every Single Night,” “Periphery,” “Hot Knife”
From its beginning tongue-twisting title, Fiona Apple’s Idler Wheel demands undivided attention with a cocktail of experimental piano and rhythm-driven rock infused with baroque-pop and jazz elements. Most of the time, Apple sings her shamelessly authentic narratives; but periodically, she also growls, chirps, moans, and throws little fits. From these exaggerated (at times abrasive), vocalizations, the daily frustrations of humanity emerge—from insecure over-analysis of menial interactions to self-destructive relationships, escapism, and emotional extremes. In the end, though, Apple offers little hope outside of awareness itself, leaving us to find our own way through the mess.
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