Forget the on-stage breakdowns by an “artiste” with a capitol “A”, forget the record company’s penchant for rejecting records every time she turns one in, and certainly forget the pretentious 20-word album titles…the question one must ask regarding a new Fiona Apple record is was it all worth the wait? In the case of her latest opus, the answer is unquestionably, yes! Apple wraps all kinds of emotions into her angular songs and on this collection they are more stripped down to the bare bones than ever before. Here we have a song that features the drama of a Broadway musical and the restlessness of a sleepless night all wrapped around the question “How can I ask anyone to love me, when all I do is beg to be left alone.” And for the record, the album’s full title is “The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do.” Don’t ask…
