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Fetch the Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple (2020)

Cinque dischi in 24 anni di attività (in realtà sarebbero circa 26). Una personalità riservata, segnata da uno stupro a 12 anni di età. Un talento immenso, a volte dispiace che Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart sia così parca nelle uscite dei suoi lavori, ma a volte bisogna accontentarsi. Basta mettere su Ladies, da questo suo quinto disco intitolato come una frase ricorrente del personaggio dell'investigatrice Stella Gibson, interpretata da Gillian Anderson, nella serie anglo-irlandese The Fall (la detective recita la frase mentre indaga su una scena del crimine in cui una donna è stata torturata), per perdonarle tutto. La prima parte di questo Fetch the Bolt Cutters (ma non solo) richiama, musicalmente, il suo stile usuale, che amo avvicinare al Tom Waits di Bone Machine: uso minimale degli strumenti. L'approccio globale è concettualmente jazz, e totalmente free. La voce di Fiona è libera di spaziare, dettare il passo, salire, scendere, accelerare e rallentare, disegnare melodie asimmetriche, affreschi talmente emozionanti da sembrare veri. Un esempio:
Ladies, ladies, ladies, ladies
Take it easy, when he leaves me, please be my guest
To whatever I might've left
In his kitchen cupboards, in the back of his bathroom cabinets
And oh yes, oh yes, oh yes
There's a dress in the closet, don't get rid of it, you'd look good in it
I didn't fit in it, it was never mine
It belonged to the ex wife of another ex of mine
She left it behind, with a note
One line it said, "I don't know if I'm coming across, but I'm really trying"
She was very kind
Siamo alle solite, quindi. Un disco difficile, che richiederà decine di ascolti, minimo. Ma chi ama davvero la musica, sono certo trarrà una soddisfazione enorme da ogni singolo momento. Un'artista davvero grande.



Five records in 24 years of activity (actually about 26). A reserved personality, marked by rape at 12 years of age. An immense talent, sometimes you are sorry that Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart is so frugal in the outputs of her works, but sometimes you have to be satisfied. Just play Ladies, from her fifth album entitled as a recurring sentence of the character of DI Stella Gibson, played by Gillian Anderson, in the British-Irish series The Fall (the detective recites the phrase while investigating a crime scene where a woman was tortured), to forgive her everything. (Especially) The first part of this Fetch the Bolt Cutters (but not only) recalls, musically, her usual style, which I love to draw near to Bone Machine's Tom Waits: minimal use of instruments. The global approach is conceptually jazz, and totally free. Fiona's voice is free to range over, dictate the pace, go up, down, accelerate and slow down, draw asymmetrical melodies, frescoes so exciting that they seem real. An example:
Ladies, ladies, ladies, ladies
Take it easy, when he leaves me, please be my guest
To whatever I might've left
In his kitchen cupboards, in the back of his bathroom cabinets
And oh yes, oh yes, oh yes
There's a dress in the closet, don't get rid of it, you'd look good in it
I didn't fit in it, it was never mine
It belonged to the ex wife of another ex of mine
She left it behind, with a note
One line it said, "I don't know if I'm coming across, but I'm really trying"
She was very kind
We are at the usual, therefore. A difficult record, which demand a dozen listen, at least. But those who really love music, I'm sure will derive enormous satisfaction from every single moment. A really great artist.