Fiona Apple - Relay (Official Audio)

A good part of the reason why people so enjoyed Fiona Apple's most recent album, Fetch The Boltcutters, was because it was the sound of a woman clearly not holding back. The sound of someone who has just had it and is going to let you know. Another good reason was the musical experimentation, including homemade instrumentation, which gave the album an innovative and organic feel that only enhanced the emotional honesty. 'Relay' conveys both of these elements to perfection.

Songs of the year, number 12: Fiona Apple - Heavy Balloon (Official Audio)

Fiona Apple's Fetch The Bolt Cutters caused a definite ripple of delight when it was released earlier this year. It might have just been amongst the people I follow on Twitter, but it was definitely delight. Aside from the homemade instrumentation and overall sense of musical innovation, what felt most obvious was Apple's sense of rage. It seems wrong to describe her rage as 'tethered' on 'Heavy Balloon', but it would also be fair to say that it's not the most furious song on the album, and that it is one of the more understated pieces. This doesn't diminish the song, far from it, in fact the sense of seething rage barely contained is one of its strengths. It's a difficult piece, from a difficult album, but it certainly does stay with you. 

Fiona Apple - Heavy Balloon (Audio)

Fiona Apple's new album, Fetch The Boltcutters, has been met with wild enthusiasm amongst the denizens of my Twitter feed but I have to confess that Apple is an artist I'd lost track of. I was late to get into her, and early to lose interest, but I wanted to see what the buzz was about this time and, while most of the album didn't speak to me so much, I could completely understand why it has spoken so loudly to many other people. Especially women.

'Heavy Balloon' is, for me, the standout track on the album, reflecting a moment when all the rage and musical experimentation comes together in a coherent, searingly powerful form.

Do give the album a listen. It's difficult, it's messy, but it's also very innovative and it has a brutal honesty to it that is very freeing.