First published in the 2020 Summer Issue
This year featured the release of Fiona Apple’s long-awaited album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters. Each new album from Apple brings with it a frenzy of excitement from fans and critics alike, and Apple has succeeded in meeting her listeners’ high expectations. On this exceptional album, she is unafraid to engage with current issues and embrace a new percussive sound. Inventive as ever, Apple has impressed me yet again with the boldness of her music and commitment to creating a record within the confines of her own home. We are only halfway through 2020, but Fetch the Bolt Cutters has already asserted itself as a frontrunner for album of the year.
Fetch the Bolt Cutters explores Apple’s complicated relationships with other women, as she engages with topics such as gender inequality, female empowerment, and solidarity amongst women. In the opening of ‘Ladies’, Apple impersonates the condescending tone a man may use in the course of mansplaining. Later, the song calls for solidarity between women, especially in the case of infidelity: “Nobody can replace anybody else / So it would be a shame to make it a competition.”
On ‘Shameika,’ Apple discusses how one of her tougher classmates empowered her by saying she “had potential.” It is clear from Apple’s reverence that this experience had a profound effect on her confidence, and the song serves to emphasise the importance of female empowerment. On ‘Under the Table,’ Apple refuses to be silenced by others, making it clear that she will voice her opinions whenever she wants to: “I would beg to disagree but begging disagrees with me … Kick me under the table all you want / I won’t shut up.” As the Me Too movement continues to expand and examples of patriarchal abuse are brought to light, it is vital that voices like Apple’s are heard and amplified. Apple addresses such abuse on ‘For Her,’ alluding to a man’s transgressive behaviour in a chirpy chant before sharply exposing his most heinous crime. Fetch the Bolt Cutters is Apple’s most brutally honest album yet, and no subject is taboo.
Despite the difficult subject matter of Fetch the Bolt Cutters, Apple creates a sense of levity throughout the album. Whimsical notes are especially noticeable on ‘Rack of His,’ as Apple humorously turns the tables on female objectification: “Check out that rack of his / Look at that row of guitar necks / Lined up like eager fillies / Outstretched like legs of Rockettes.” The dark tone of the album is offset by some of the later tracks, which are reminiscent of Apple’s previous work. The gentle chorus on ‘Cosmonauts’ harkens back to the softer melodies of Apple’s debut album Tidal, providing a fleeting moment of sweetness on the record. The fluctuating vocal delivery and unusual imagery on ‘Heavy Balloon’ are reminiscent of Apple’s experimental sound on her third album Extraordinary Machine. Although the heavy percussion on Fetch the Bolt Cutters is a large departure from her earlier sound, these songs are a welcome callback to her older music.
Fetch the Bolt Cutters is an album that can be easily appreciated given the current Covid-19 global health crisis. The desire to escape from captivity can be found throughout Apple’s lyrics: “Fetch the bolt cutters / I’ve been in here too long.” Recorded in Apple’s home studio, the album incorporates an array of everyday sounds. Apple can be heard banging together household objects in the background, and even her dog’s barking is included. Apple’s use of the software Garageband to produce the album, as well as the spontaneity of its long and unedited takes, lends a homegrown feeling to Fetch the Bolt Cutters. Although rough around the edges, the DIY nature of the album is a refreshing change of pace from the polished production of Apple’s past releases. It gives the listener the opportunity to reflect on their time stuck at home and what they could possibly achieve in that space.
Fetch the Bolt Cutters is an outstanding accomplishment for Apple. Her daring lyrics and commitment to a new sound allow the album to stand out from the crowd, and it will be no surprise to me if it sweeps at next year’s awards season. Given her lengthy writing and recording process, it will probably be a long wait for the next album from her. I am eager to see what direction Apple will take with her next musical offering, and if she will be able to surpass the masterpiece that she has crafted this time around.
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