lambchops's Full Review: When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a ...
I first recall Fiona Apple after the release of her debut album, Tidal.
The song, Shadowboxer, sounded like nothing else on radio and resonated through my heart and mind for the weeks before I finally purchased the album. Each song including Criminal, Never Is A Promise, and Sleep To Dream felt comfortable and timeless. Based only on this immaculate first album, I decided in the mid-1990’s that young Fiona Apple would be around for a long while.
Grammy agreed that the New York-based singer and songwriter showed great talent and musical prowess and awarded her Best Female Rock Performance in 1998. Apple was also nominated in the Best New Artist and Best Rock Song categories for her intense single Criminal. Tidal, despite having been released in 1996, stuck around on the charts through early 1999 and eventually went no fewer than three times platinum.
So when I heard that Apple was releasing her eagerly awaited new album in 1999, I was immediately interested. Tidal was a scrumptious little masterpiece. The new album, known simply as When The Pawn…, could have been a complete bust. By that time, Apple was as well known by audiences for her MTV Music Award spiel in which she went on a tirade insisting that “This world is bullsh*t, and you shouldn't model your life about what you think that you think we think is cool, and what we're wearing, and what we're saying and everything. Go with yourself."
Not to be outdone by herself, Apple’s sophomore effort is actually the longest titled album in music history at 90 or so words. Even if the title is unconventional, the music is not. It hits home, feels comfortable and true. At the tender age of 22, the exceptionally talented singer and songwriter once again wowed audiences including myself.
When The Pawn… had fewer hit singles than Tidal. The only really notable single was Fast As You Can. Instead of appealing to fickle MTV audiences, this album represents a complete vision from the first notes of On The Bound through the last of I Know. The production values exhibited and executed masterfully by Jon Brion combined with the seamless songs written and performed by Apple are genuinely original and remarkably evocative. Very few artists ever reach the same heights of musical achievement as Apple. If she never releases another nearly perfect album, I will be content with her discs of material.
With that said, When The Pawn… is of course a worthwhile album. It’s a shimmering, challenging affair filled with painful words and neatly assembled pianos. Nothing on the album is too big. Apple wields an impressive talent, yet she still is able to hold herself back where need be. And, at just ten songs, the album is of perfect length. Just long enough to grasp the importance of the album, but not so long that perspective is lost.
Like I said, Fast As I Can is the closest thing to a hit single coming from When The Pawn. The thing about this second album is that it’s not as accessible as Tidal. The songs are more complex and more thought provoking and thus only appealing to a smaller audience. Fast As I Can is an uneasy yet kinetic track full of alternating rhythms and layered vocals. Fiona Apple’s vocals, piano, and words effortlessly intermingle. Fans of her earlier work will without a doubt be impressed by this effort.
Most impressive, in my opinion, is the stark beauty of Limp. Apple fears no musical arrangement. Her voice stands on its own, but when combined with her angry delivery, a brilliant horn section, piano, and understated percussion the overall picture becomes clear. Most important, I believe, are the words (that by the way are perfectly emoted by Apple). And when the song abruptly stops, the listener is left hanging…eagerly awaiting something more.
If you need my shame to reclaim your pride
And when I think of it, my fingers turn to fists
I never did anything to you, man
The song that really connected with me on Tidal was Never Is A Promise. In the same vein is Love Ridden a slow, beautiful track that is in reality much deeper than one would first expect. Apple is most impressive in a stark and basic setting. When sitting at a piano surrounded by a string quartet, she is a goddess. Love Ridden fascinates me, hurts me, makes me weep. Apple is a talent of the rarest kind.
Jazzy, clean, cool and effervescent, Paper Bag also screams for attention. Once again, Apple is paired with understated instruments. At the center of this musical journey are her voice and her words. Even though she is a virtuoso pianist, it’s her rich vocals that are the most important. With a lightly strummed guitar, French horn, and lightly tapped drums there’s no question where attention should be directed.
I was staring at the sky, just looking for a star
To pray on, or wish on, or something like that
I was having a sweet fix of a daydream of a boy
Whose reality I knew, was a hopeless to be had
There’s nothing bad that can be said about When The Pawn…. Each song is a continuation of the last both musically and in theme. It’s a bit more upbeat offering than Tidal, yet I still find myself driven by her images and voice. Apple is a rare beast. Other songs to consider include On the Bound with a funky rhythm and dark melody. I like A Mistake for it’s haunting, jazzy sound not unlike the rest of the album. Finally, Get Gone is a light and free-flowing modern jazz track.
But don’t limit yourself to just a song or two. Apple and When The Pawn… both have so much more to offer. As I’ve attempted to reiterate, Apple shouldn’t be ignored. Nor should she be blended in amongst the likes of Tori Amos or Alanis Morissette. Apple is her own person with her own truly imaginative musical ideas. I do hope that she will be able to recapture the musical place that she was in during the making of both 1996’s Tidal and 1999’s When The Pawn…. It’s on these two albums that listeners can have a real brush with greatness.
I do recommend When The Pawn…. It is impossible not to love Apple regardless of the kind of music you’re most accustomed to listening to and loving. I find solace in her velvety yet angry vocals and the contrasting piano. Others may better appreciate her jazzy songs or her lyrics. I do believe that there is something in Apple for everybody.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. On The Bound
02. To Your Love
03. Limp
04. Love Ridden
05. Paper Bag
06. A Mistake
07. Fast As You Can
08. The Way Things Are
09. Get Gone
10. I Know
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