Apple has an irresistible verve throughout Fetch the Bolt Cutters. Her moods have a wide range - angry, liberating, open, childish and poignant to name a few. There is a very particular brilliance in the deft simplicity and immediacy of her lyricism. She frequently manages to succinctly capture the heart of her songs' concepts while being instantly quotable at the same time. There are times, like in the frenzied and compelling "For Her", where Apple's directness can be jaw-dropping ("Well, good morning / Good morning / You raped me in the same bed your daughter was born in"). Lighter but equally memorable soundbites can be found in the stern opposition of "Under The Table" ("I would beg to disagree / But Begging disagrees with me") and the chain reaction of hate examined in "Relay" ("Evil is a relay sport / Where the one who's burnt turns to pass the torch").
Both "Under The Table" and "Relay" show that Apple is excellent at casually dishing out poetic earworms. This is also apparent in the catchy chorus of "Cosmonauts" ("You and I will be like a couple of cosmonauts / Except with way more gravity than when we started off"). The hook is a unique way of stating a universal truth that is further explored in the verses. Although "Cosmonauts" analyzes this from the standpoint of lovers, be it a romantic endeavor or not, we are molded by our close relationships. At 42, Apple has lived enough to know well that the deeper a bond grows, the more weight and potential devastation there is in the possibility of losing it. "Cosmonauts" is her way of telling us that the stakes are high ("When I met you I was fine with my nothing / I grew with you and now I've changed / What I've become is something I can't be without your loving / Be good to me, it isn't a game").
"Cosmonauts" evolves greatly during its runtime and is arguably one of the best examples of just how impressive Fetch the Bolt Cutters can be. The most striking parts of "Cosmonauts" are full of energetic drumming and a marvelous combination of three vocal tracks - a gorgeous lead melody, divine choral background vocals and chanting. "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" is another stunning tune with a completely different atmosphere. Apple conversationally sings about finding her confidence and voice in the judgmental music industry over gorgeous jazzy instrumentation. Even though the lyrics are about Apple's individual experience, "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" carries a message that most can relate to: a refusal to be put in the boxes society places us in.
A couple of tracks later, "Rack of His" and "Newspaper" form a magnificent one-two punch. The former has beautiful mellotron keys and in the latter Apple is accompanied by wonderful background vocals as she belts over a fascinating off-kilter groove. The songs skillfully cover two very different types of relationship dynamics. On "Rack Of His", Apple takes a humorous and confessional tone to tackle a relationship of strongly imbalanced emotional investment ("It was because I was loving you so much / It's the only reason I gave my time to you / And that's it, there's a kick and you've given up / 'Cause you know you won't like it when there's nothing to do"). "Newspaper" flips the typical narrative of two women who have been in love with the same man on its head. Apple fears for her ex's new love, knowing that this woman will have a similar journey to the painful one she just ended. It's a very distinct type of empathy: knowing her ex is demonizing her in the eyes of his new love while simultaneously having compassion for this woman. Apple sees that the man has not changed, and her familiarity with his toxic actions creates a connection of pain between the women that she will never be able to express directly ("I watch him let go of your hand, I wanna stand between you / But it's not what I'm supposed to do / I watch him walk over you, talk over you, be mean to you / And it makes me feel close to you").
Both "Under The Table" and "Relay" show that Apple is excellent at casually dishing out poetic earworms. This is also apparent in the catchy chorus of "Cosmonauts" ("You and I will be like a couple of cosmonauts / Except with way more gravity than when we started off"). The hook is a unique way of stating a universal truth that is further explored in the verses. Although "Cosmonauts" analyzes this from the standpoint of lovers, be it a romantic endeavor or not, we are molded by our close relationships. At 42, Apple has lived enough to know well that the deeper a bond grows, the more weight and potential devastation there is in the possibility of losing it. "Cosmonauts" is her way of telling us that the stakes are high ("When I met you I was fine with my nothing / I grew with you and now I've changed / What I've become is something I can't be without your loving / Be good to me, it isn't a game").
"Cosmonauts" evolves greatly during its runtime and is arguably one of the best examples of just how impressive Fetch the Bolt Cutters can be. The most striking parts of "Cosmonauts" are full of energetic drumming and a marvelous combination of three vocal tracks - a gorgeous lead melody, divine choral background vocals and chanting. "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" is another stunning tune with a completely different atmosphere. Apple conversationally sings about finding her confidence and voice in the judgmental music industry over gorgeous jazzy instrumentation. Even though the lyrics are about Apple's individual experience, "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" carries a message that most can relate to: a refusal to be put in the boxes society places us in.
A couple of tracks later, "Rack of His" and "Newspaper" form a magnificent one-two punch. The former has beautiful mellotron keys and in the latter Apple is accompanied by wonderful background vocals as she belts over a fascinating off-kilter groove. The songs skillfully cover two very different types of relationship dynamics. On "Rack Of His", Apple takes a humorous and confessional tone to tackle a relationship of strongly imbalanced emotional investment ("It was because I was loving you so much / It's the only reason I gave my time to you / And that's it, there's a kick and you've given up / 'Cause you know you won't like it when there's nothing to do"). "Newspaper" flips the typical narrative of two women who have been in love with the same man on its head. Apple fears for her ex's new love, knowing that this woman will have a similar journey to the painful one she just ended. It's a very distinct type of empathy: knowing her ex is demonizing her in the eyes of his new love while simultaneously having compassion for this woman. Apple sees that the man has not changed, and her familiarity with his toxic actions creates a connection of pain between the women that she will never be able to express directly ("I watch him let go of your hand, I wanna stand between you / But it's not what I'm supposed to do / I watch him walk over you, talk over you, be mean to you / And it makes me feel close to you").
Apple now has over two decades of experience in the music industry and five quality albums to show for it. The Idler Wheel was a superb intimate listen and Fetch the Bolt Cutters is a tremendous adventure that is thrilling from start to finish. Apple's band, which includes bassist Sebastien Steinberg, drummer Amy Aileen Wood and guitarist David Garza, is top-notch. the trademarks of a fantastic Apple album are present: extremely strong writing, great singing with raw emotional power and impeccable production. This is her best work yet. If Apple is going to appear every eight years to release music this amazing, it's more than worth the wait.
Credits:
Fiona Apple: producer, lyricist, performer, vocal, composer, drums, piano, background vocals, percussion, recording engineer, electronic drums, bells
Bob Ludwig: mastering engineer
Amy Aileen Wood: producer, drums, percussion, recording engineer, loops
Sebastian Steinberg: bass, drums, percussion, guitar, harp, composer, background vocals
Dave Way: mixing engineer, recording engineer
John Would: recording engineer, organ, piano, mixing engineer
Tchad Blake: mixing engineer
Cara Delevingne: background vocals
Davíd Garza: percussion, guitar, composer, background vocals, piano, organ
Maude Maggart: background vocals
Winifred Lucky: background vocals
