There is a thin line between eclecticism and insecurity. Apple's mental mess is reflected in the music's stylistic mess: orchestral pop ( Love Ridden), tango, soul, rhythm'n'blues, cabaret, classical music. The single Fast As You Can (a painful remembrance of when she was raped at 12) is even set to an unlikely syncopated Latin dance frenzy that mutates into a Beatles-style piano melody. The unabashed honesty of her lyrics is not matched by adequately dramatic music, despite Jon Brion's sophisticated production effort. Rispetto all'altra pianista Tori Amos, Apple non vanta però la stessa versatilità negli arrangiamenti né le stesse doti vocali.Īpple has not yet overcome her flaws on the sophomore album, When The Pawn Hits The Conflicts (Epic, 1999), which is mostly an inferior copy of the debut. Gli ammiccamenti a blues, soul e jazz ricreano l'atmosfera del cabaret espressionista. D'altro canto, i suoi frequenti riferimenti alle tradizioni blues, soul e jazz ricreano talvolta l'atmosfera da cabaret. Solo Slow Like Honey e Carrion scivolano nello stile pacato e indolente di una chanteuse easy-listening. Gli arrangiamenti si servono dell'orchestra per lo più in maniera discreta. The Child Is Gone dà sfogo all'angoscia piuttosto che al rancore (Apple è stata violentata a dodici anni). Apple ha poco in comune con le cantautrici arrabbiate che le sono contempranee. Sullen Girl (una specie di autoritratto) richiama alla mente le tormentate autoanalisi di Laura Nyro. Il pianoforte è la sua seconda voce, sia nel tono leggero e melodrammatico di un Elton John (l'hit single Shadowboxer) sia nella maniera più cerebrale di una Joni Mitchell ( Never Is A Promise, Pale September). Ma il suo talento e la sua vera vocazione emergono nelle riflessive ballate per piano. L'esuberante rap di Sleep To Dream (uno shuffle nevrotico a base di hip-hop) e l'ardita Criminal (un miscuglio blues-rock intenso e febbrile) fanno meglio di Sheryl Crow. On the other hand, her frequent references to the blues, soul and jazz traditions sometimes recreate the atmosphere of the cabaret.Ĭompared with Tori Amos, another pianist and singer, Apple cannot boast the same eclectism as an arranger or the same vocal talent.įiona Apple (figlia di un attore e di una cantante/ballerina, cresciuta a New York, trasferitasi adolescente a Los Angeles per il liceo, ma tornata a New York) esordì a soli diciott'anni con Tidal (Epic, 1996). Only Slow Like Honey and Carrion slip into the mellow and sleepy style of an easy-listening chanteuse. The arrangement makes use of the orchestra mostly discreetly. The Child Is Gone vents angst rather than bitterness (Apple was raped at twelve). Apple has little in common with the angry singer-songwriters of her era. Sullen Girl (a sort of self-portrait) recalls Laura Nyro's tortured self-analysis. The piano is her second voice, whether in the light and melodramatic tone of an Elton John (the hit single Shadowboxer) or in the more cerebral manner of a Joni Mitchell ( Never Is A Promise, Pale September). But her talent and her true voice emerged from the pensive piano-based ballads. The vibrant rap of Sleep To Dream (a neurotic hip-hop-accented shuffle) and the defiant Criminal (a thick and feverish blues-rock shuffle) do Sheryl Crow better. Apple was a precocious talent and debuted at eighteen with Tidal (Epic, 1996), an album that caused a sensation. When The Pawn Hits The Conflicts (1999), 6.5/10įiona Apple, daughter of an actor and of a singer/dancer, was raised in New York, relocated to Los Angeles where she attended high school, but later returned to New York. (Copyright © 1999 Piero Scaruffi | Terms of use) Fiona Apple: biography, discography, reviews, ratings Fiona Apple
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