REVIEW: Fiona Apple, When the Pawn... (Epic)
- John Davidson
Young, precocious, and potent, Fiona Apple made a big splash in the market a few years back with her debut album, Tidal. Whether sliding through the pubescent rage door that Alanis opened or the channeling raw wounds a la Tori Amos, her distinctly smoky voice and wavering rhythms parlayed a sound beyond her years. The goofiness of fame ensued, focusing on her behavior (that rattled speech on a televised awards show, her dwindling figure, her Lolita-inspired videos, etc.) and more often than not, gave her talent short thrift. Another just dessert for the insatiable appetite of stardom?
Now older and a little less bolder on her follow up to Tidal, When the Pawn... proves to be a strong move of growth in her songwriting. Thematically, she's moved beyond the fragile trappings of adolescent pain in order to confront her place in the world. "All my life is on me now," she sings on the first track ("On the Bound"), "hail the pages turning." Her bleeding heart seems more focused, and much of the album speaks of the love in her life that has come and gone since. Yet, while her confessional style is at once better than anything on Tidal, the words still lag; few lyrics are an even match for her formidable vocal talent.
It is, of course, Apple's voice that separates her from her peers. Some of the most popular vocalists of the past ten years have made a career out of an unlimited range or the ability to break glass with a high note, yet it's Apple's lack of range that puts the focus on her bloozy, sexy delivery. She dips, she crawls, she pouts, she lets her husky tone and swooning turns of phrase to carry her message. This isn't a singer who has to over-emote, and it's a vivid reminder that talent can become popular if allowed to stand solo. From the wobbling kilter of "To Your Love" to the delicate lullaby of "I Know," Apple's command of her vocal instrument has clearly become more assured with experience, and her jazzy instinct on the keyboard has improved, too.
Finally, there's that title. Sure, it's pretty flaccid and surely, it's even a little indulgent. Yet with everyone (including the record label) truncating that albatross, her quest of self-reliance and redemption ("When you go solo, you hold your own hand") may be falling more than a few deaf ears. But that's okay. She's maturing and doing things her own way. When the Pawn... ultimately shows the portrait of an artist as a maturing young woman. A surprising and rewarding sophomore album.
