Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters

I'm reposting this review with some rewriting and additional thoughts, Because I feel like this project deserves way more respect. Where do I fucking begin with this thing, I'm still a little shocked and blown away, This is the best Fiona Apple album in my opinion. Fetch the Bolt Cutters is her most challenging album and its hard to digest at first, It has so many layers and its impressively complex musically and the lyrically.

One of the main themes and narratives on this album is about accepting yourself and being yourself exactly the way you are, Without caring about what anyone says and how people will look at you, Its about breaking out of toxic situations in your life and the prisons that we build for ourselves. The themes and narrative throughout the album are delivered with so much creativity and thought, There is so much heart and personality poured into this project, Every single sound and verse contains so much meaning and layers, and details to pull out with every listen, It demands participation and a close listen from the listener, And its very rewarding to say the least.

The production here is incredible, There are so many different soundscapes and daring ideas here, And they are all executed amazingly well. At times it can be gentle and soft with some gorgeous instrumentals and heartfelt moments, And other times it can be so damn intense and off the rails that its truly jaw dropping and mind scratching. Every song is a powerhouse that brings his own bold and unique ideas, And contributes to the overall experience. One of my favorites is easily Newspaper, It contains some genuinely mind blowing vocal performances from Fiona, She is as passionate as a human being can be, And I get insane shivers every time she gets to the hook. The song revolves around toxic relationships, Fiona expresses on the song how she felt when her friend were in an abusive relationship, Her writing here is absolutely phenomenal, And the metaphors along with the way she portraits this situation is brilliant.

Fiona is absolutely stellar here, She delivers all these themes in such a sharp and powerful way, Every word that comes out of her mouth feel real and personal. She is not afraid to say what she wants in the most blunt and daring way possible. She really shines here and brings out the best version of herself, In terms of the writing, Singing, Different delivery styles, And the way she executed the thoughtful conceptuality of the album, Which is absolutely beautiful and empowering. There is not a single moment throughout the whole album when Fiona doesn't grab your attention and captivates you in what she is saying, She is so charismatic and engaging.

The production and Fiona works so well together, It sounds like it was made specifically for Fiona and only she can make it work so affectively. It can be hard to get into because there are a lot of experimental elements and intense moments throughout the tracklist, But once you settle into it and understand the meaning of it and why its there, Its insanely rewarding.

Fetch the Bolt Cutters is intelligent and gentle but also explosive, Its beautiful and emotional but hunting and unsettling as well, Its daring, Unique and bold. It can make you feel a wide variety of emotions, and you can discover more details and layers in every single listen. There aren't many albums that sounds quite like it, Its a modern masterpiece that will go down in the books of history.

Additional thoughts: I'm basically reposting this review as an appreciation post for this album, I think it doesn't get the praise it deserves mainly because of the relatively negative Fantano review. Now you might look at the user score which is an 84, And ask me: "what do you mean "doesn't get the praise it deserves"? Because an 84 is a pretty damn high score. So... in my opinion this album deserves a user score of at least an 88. Fiona Apple is one of the best artists and songwriters of the last 25 years, And Fetch the Bolt Cutters is by far her most creative, engaging and groundbreaking work to date. Its also her most mature and fully realized album in my opinion. I keep coming back to this record, And every single time it blows me away all over again. The critics are honestly right about this one, Fantano is wrong, Its easily one of the best albums of the decade so far.

Favorite: I Want You To Love Me, Shameika, Newspaper, Cosmonauts, For Her, Heavy Balloon, Under the Table, Rack of His
Least favorite: N/A