Search - Fiona Apple :: When The Pawn...

Unmissable

Cabir Davis | 07/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When 1996's `Tidal' came out, it was clear that its' young vocalist was no flash in the pan. Despite an overall sense of gloominess and woe-is-me, Apple's debut was regarded as exceptionally stunning, drawing accolades for its' unmissable single `Criminal' and the magical `Sleep to dream'. It was thus no surprise that people anticipated her follow up album with sky-high expectations of it. In 1999, Apple unveiled her second album, the curiously titled `When the pawn hits the conflicts...'. The full title actually works out to a mini-poem of sorts, and one that makes LSD-ish sense upon repeated reading. ...Rarely have there been albums where every single song is an unrivalled gem, but this is one of them (non-believers, you'd have to actually buy this CD to know what I'm talking about). Now, both sides of the Atlantic have sung their praises of this album, and I still can't get enough of it, despite listening to the album in its entirety over - literally - more than a hundred times.The opener, 'On the Bound' is a contradictory anthem of deep longing - despite the fierce independent tone of the title, we find Fiona wailing 'You're all I need' with a passion quite unseen since Sinead O'Connor's classic howls on 'Mandinka'. The second track 'To your love' is a grand ode to love, with the songstress apologising for her seeming indifference - 'Please forgive me for my distance' she whispers. This particular track is very effective, and frankly, its almost bewildering how Apple hasn't got the recognition and album sales that she so obviously deserves. Honestly, don't people know how to appreciate good music anymore? As if to reaffirm my bewilderment, the third, and perhaps most gutsy track on the album, simply floors you. "Limp" which was an official single release from the CD early in 2000 works on all levels - musically, instrumentally, and lyrically. Gripping stuff."Paper Bag" and "Love Ridden" are in the same vein as many of the songs on 'Tidal', though the production values and lyrics are far better. Its apparent that Apple has evolved tremendously as a singer and songwriter, and 'A Mistake', another of the album's I'm-gonna-be-me-and-no-one-else tracks is highly reflective of this fact. One thing thats true of 'When the Pawn' is that it keeps reaffirming the Angry Young Woman image more so than 'Tidal' and the listener can get weary of this after a point. At places, its Apple's stunning talents as a writer that retain your interest in the song and not the music (like 'Fast as You can' - perhaps the most commercial of all the songs on this CD), but in most others, its a combination of innovative music and sheer lyrical poetry that keep you hooked. The final songs on the album are 'Get Gone' and 'I know' - both sung about a lover who could have done better, and these are among the slower paced, deeper tracks on the set. Not that I'm complaining. Fiona has proved time and again that shes a true master of the Love Ballad, and what better time to show off this skill? 'When the Pawn' is an album that you come out of feeling light-headed and enriched - something I haven't felt since Tori Amos' 'Under the Pink'. On second thought, that particular album actually left me with a headache, but it broke new ground, which is something that Fiona has done here. What affected me most about this set is that it gets you in a way no other collection of songs has done through the last year. I've listened to Eminem, played my old Rolling Stones records again, and yes, even bought Spear's 'Oops...I did it again', but I haven't ever faced an album with such repeat value. I couldn't possibly recommend this album strongly enough, so all I'll say is : You'd better buy it to believe it. Its an absolute must-have."