I wrote this as a comment a bit earlier, and thought it might merit a whole post.

This album is brilliant. Apple owned every stage of its creative journey. Worked closely with friends on it. Recorded in her home. You can hear her dog barking in the background. You can hear her and her friends playing with percussive sounds — cans, jars of coins, whatever is around. At one point, you hear her say “fuck” when she messes up the rhythm. She left it in.

To top it off, every song could be an FDS anthem. They’re all about giving voice to women: their oppression, their anger, their pain.

Here are some sample quotes from songs in the album:

“Kick me under the table all you want, I won’t shut up.”

“Evil is a relay sport where the one who’s burned turns to pass the torch.”

“Ladies, ladies, ladies, ladies, take it easy, when he leaves me, please be my guest to whatever I might've left.”

“Like you know, you should know, but you don't know what you did.”

I strongly recommend it. I listen to the album on repeat. I sing the songs. I’m considering buying a bongo set so I can play along. I feel so empowered listening to her words. When I feel like shit after yet another sexist interaction, I turn up the volume loud and listen and I feel instantly better.

And then, after listening to the album, go ahead and read Emily Nussbaum’s* awesome article about its release based on interviews with Apple. It covers Fiona’s childhood rape, past abusive relationships, sensitivity, addiction issues, and her slow battle to reclaim her voice and own her artistic process that she eventually, and triumphantly, won. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/23/fiona-apples-art-of-radical-sensitivity

*Nussbaum is another queen who writes brilliant TV reviews and who also empowers women.

Fetch the Bolt Cutters full album: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N541HLPeG6Y&list=PL9tY0BWXOZFthbMAh1WrMDEho_wKVSM_1