All year long I have been waiting to see who would receive the title of "album of the year" on my personal charts. That album has been released by a musical genius who so far has been more misunderstood than appreciated. "When The Pawn..." is the fulfillment of the promise made by Fiona on her debut album; an amazing musical experiment, a great combination of deep (it's deep people, not weird) lyrics, a sultry voice, and excellent musical arrangements. I'm more than glad to see Fiona taking on a slightly new direction making use of elements not seen or heard on her debut album. It is important to note that this work is less piano/melodic driven than "Tidal" -which still ranks as one of my top ten albums of the past 2 decades- and more focused on experimenting with the jazzy-bluesy feeling that this artist had shared with us on her previous effort. Tracks like "On the Bound," "Limp," and "Paper Bag" are outstanding in presenting Fiona's maturity in vocal and writing power. Likewise, they stand out ib their impeccable combination of Fiona's piano and other elements of percussion as well as some loops. In this regard this album compares with Tori Amos' "From the ChoirGirl Hotel" and Suzanne Vega's "99.9F" both of which meant gigantic leaps for the artists into the experimental fields of music. Some listeners may find that a general sense of anger and sadness prevails through most of the tracks, especially on tracks like "Get Gone" (my favorite) and "Love Ridden" but you cannot expect an artist like Fiona, after what you heard on "Tidal" to be singing happy ditties. To make this brief, anyone who is into powerful performers, especially female musicians, will be captured by this gem. If you've never heard of Fiona or if you were turned off by her darkness the first time around, I recommend you to still give it a try, listen to tracks like "To Your Love" or "Fast as you Can" and you'll agree on how extraordinary this album is. I rest my case :)

When 1996's 'Tidal' came out, it was clear that its' young vocalist was no flash in the pan. Despite an overall sense of gloominess and woe-is-me, Apple's debut was regarded as exceptionally stunning, drawing accolades for its' unmissable single 'Criminal' and the magical 'Sleep to dream'. It was thus no surprise that people anticipated her follow up album with sky-high expectations of it. In 1999, Apple unveiled her second album, the curiously titled 'When the pawn hits the conflicts...'. The full title actually works out to a mini-poem of sorts, and one that makes LSD-ish sense upon repeated reading. ...Rarely have there been albums where every single song is an unrivalled gem, but this is one of them (non-believers, you'd have to actually buy this CD to know what I'm talking about). Now, both sides of the Atlantic have sung their praises of this album, and I still can't get enough of it, despite listening to the album in its entirety over - literally - more than a hundred times.

The opener, 'On the Bound' is a contradictory anthem of deep longing - despite the fierce independent tone of the title, we find Fiona wailing 'You're all I need' with a passion quite unseen since Sinead O'Connor's classic howls on 'Mandinka'. The second track 'To your love' is a grand ode to love, with the songstress apologising for her seeming indifference - 'Please forgive me for my distance' she whispers. This particular track is very effective, and frankly, its almost bewildering how Apple hasn't got the recognition and album sales that she so obviously deserves. Honestly, don't people know how to appreciate good music anymore? As if to reaffirm my bewilderment, the third, and perhaps most gutsy track on the album, simply floors you. "Limp" which was an official single release from the CD early in 2000 works on all levels - musically, instrumentally, and lyrically. Gripping stuff.

"Paper Bag" and "Love Ridden" are in the same vein as many of the songs on 'Tidal', though the production values and lyrics are far better. Its apparent that Apple has evolved tremendously as a singer and songwriter, and 'A Mistake', another of the album's I'm-gonna-be-me-and-no-one-else tracks is highly reflective of this fact. One thing thats true of 'When the Pawn' is that it keeps reaffirming the Angry Young Woman image more so than 'Tidal' and the listener can get weary of this after a point. At places, its Apple's stunning talents as a writer that retain your interest in the song and not the music (like 'Fast as You can' - perhaps the most commercial of all the songs on this CD), but in most others, its a combination of innovative music and sheer lyrical poetry that keep you hooked. The final songs on the album are 'Get Gone' and 'I know' - both sung about a lover who could have done better, and these are among the slower paced, deeper tracks on the set. Not that I'm complaining. Fiona has proved time and again that shes a true master of the Love Ballad, and what better time to show off this skill?

'When the Pawn' is an album that you come out of feeling light-headed and enriched - something I haven't felt since Tori Amos' 'Under the Pink'. On second thought, that particular album actually left me with a headache, but it broke new ground, which is something that Fiona has done here. What affected me most about this set is that it gets you in a way no other collection of songs has done through the last year. I've listened to Eminem, played my old Rolling Stones records again, and yes, even bought Spear's 'Oops...I did it again', but I haven't ever faced an album with such repeat value. I couldn't possibly recommend this album strongly enough, so all I'll say is : You'd better buy it to believe it. Its an absolute must-have.

Whereas Tidal was the product of an unhoned prodigy's raw instinct, When the Pawn... is a tempering of Fiona Apple's lyrical and musical sense into a disciplined and thoroughly enjoyable whole.

Firstly, her singing: Now fully in command of her smoky, dark voice, Apple's delivery is greatly improved, with a confidence never before exhibited. It helps that her melodic sense has taken a quantum leap in the past three years; there are no longer any more quaint, unsure moments like "Shadowboxer" on Tidal. Producer Jon Brion (Aimee Mann) must also have contributed his infallible ear to the arrangements because When the Pawn... offers a much richer, more distinct sound, and overall a more addictive one. Apple's piano sounds great, the fiery parts recalling Tori Amos' ferocious work on her From the Choirgirl Hotel album or Laura Nyro in her '60s heyday, and even when the songs lapse into sections of jazz-blues jamming (usually more fun for the players than the listener), on this record they merely serve to augment the spontaneity of the songs and the immediacy of the performances.

A work worthy of an artist on the rise, When the Pawn... is a work that Fiona Apple should be very proud of. She has succeeded in mining her best assets while leaving her past faults behind.

...as long as they got the voice for it. This is the first album i've listened by this artist, and what brought me to her music is her quite original voice...simply much more feminine than those sickly sweet voices we hear on the radio. A low key, warm voice, with a certain edge to it. The music is even better, it is mostly piano, but mixed with the usual rock components, with a lot of rythm and breaks, so that each song has emotionnal and more rythmic parts. I don't like solo piano artists, but i love this album, because of the gathering of all these elements. An album gifted with a sublime voice and a talented music, which will get to you.

I bought this CD after hearing 'Fast as you can' on the radio.. I'm usually not one to buy albums after just hearing one song, but I'm a sucker for female vocalists and Fiona has a great voice. Luckily, I wasn't disapointed. Fiona has a great rich and full voice with a nice range. The emotions in the songs seems genuine and there's good variation of rhythms and sounds throughout. Most songs are just her with some strong piano and percussion and occasional brass or sax, and her voice is always the centerpiece. My only complaint might be that her song composition might be a little on the simple side on a few of the songs, being a little short on lyrics and high on repetition, but this is a great CD from start to finish.

'Fast as you Can' is probably one of the best tracks, just because it has really interesting beats and composition, but the last track 'I Know' is just a gorgeous ballad, really showcasing her incredible voice.