Tidal

Today's Music That Generally Defies Things is Fiona Apple's Tidal. Now, I could probably go on and on about Fiona Apple herself, but this is a music blog, so let's get down to business.

I really like this album! It has a dark and timeless quality to it that I can't exactly put my finger on. I know the album came out 15-ish years ago, but it doesn't sound dated at all. It's mostly just Fiona singing, with that deep, beautiful voice of hers, and playing the piano. To put things in context, some time ago I blogged about Regina Spektor, who I would consider something of a descendant of Apple, musically anyway. However, I wouldn't go so far as to say they are peers, exactly, just because they are both women who primarily play the piano. Spektor's music is light and friendly, very inviting, whereas Apple's music is reluctant and spurning. Tidal isn't a friendly album, not the kind of thing you listen to at a picnic on a warm summer day. If you want to call it 'emo', that's your business, but I would hardly consider that term applicable here. Tidal came out amidst a sea of distorted guitar and dirty male singers, establishing Apple as a musical force in her own right, and for good reason. I could name any number of songs off this album as starting points, but I do like "Sleep to Dream", and of course, everyone loves "Criminal". I used this as my background music for cooking last week, and it worked out great.

So, to summarize, this is a wonderful album, but if you're easily influenced by your music, save this one for days when you want to stay inside and brood. Also, if you are Fiona Apple, call me.

In Other News:
It's time to make a serious push.