Fiona Apple – Extraordinary Machine

Artist: Fiona Apple

Title: Extraordinary Machine

Label: Epic

Rating: 8/10

FILE UNDER: Fiona makes breaking up into great music.

CORPORATE LINE: Extraordinary Machine is the long-awaited third album from multi-platinum artist Fiona Apple. Extraordinary Machine contains 12 electrifying tracks, including the brand new songs Parting Gift and O’ Sailor, all of which feature the brilliant music and poignant, passionate lyrics that have inspired legions of intensely loyal fans all over the world.

THE GREAT:
“Extraordinary Machine” – This is by far one of the quirkiest songs you will hear and love. Seriously, this song shouldn’t be this good—and yet it is fantastic. It is pure addiction. Once you hear it you can never listen enough.
“O’ Sailor” – The lyrics don’t do anything—they are often monotonously—and then the chorus swells and swells to a beautiful end.
“Tymps (The Sick In The Head Song)” – Amazing orchestration that spruced up the original version making a nice song sound amazing. Fiona has the ability to go 100-miles an hour and then slow it down to a crawl.
“Parting Gifts” – I love this song. It might not be the greatest but lyrics can tear you up: “The sign said stop/ But we went on whole-hearted/ It ended bad but I love what we started”
“Red, Red, Red” – The lyrics say it all, but the music sets the mood: “I think if I didn’t have to kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill myself doing it/Maybe I wouldn’t think so much of you.”

THE AVERAGE:
“Get Him Back” – Want to make Fiona angry? Then deal with lyrics like “and you will see my face as I figure how to kill what I cannot catch.” Ouch.
“Window” – Fiona has a lot of anger pent up and its great that we get it in song; “Better that I break the window/ Than him or her or me.”

THE BAD:
Nothing.

FRANKLY: This is one hell of a send off to ex-boyfriend Paul Thomas Anderson. If this makes anything obvious—don’t break up with Fiona! Love her forever or find yourself the topic of many songs with words like “kill” over and over in them. It reminds me a bit of Ani DiFranco without being overly emotional but the anger is there.

Fiona really focused on her emotion and lyrics. She had that strength in the past but Extraordinary Machine finds her in the zone. Finally, Fiona Apple has grown beyond being a girl with a big voice and quirky lyrics. She boasts lyrics that are not only emotional but clever. She certainly is an Extraordinary Machine.

+ Rae Gun