Fiona Apple Extraordinary Machine 180g 2LP

Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time - Rated 444/500!

Fiona Apple's 2005 album, Extraordinary Machine, is a unique blend of alternative and pop sounds showcased from the upbeat "Not About Love" to the gentle "Parting Gift."

Fiona Apple was catapulted into the public consciousness with the release of her debut album, Tidal, in 1996 at the crest of the alternative rock wave. She was an MTV favorite and captivated audiences both at her own shows as well as on Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair revue. Her 1999 follow up, When The Pawn…, cemented her appeal having a focused blend of emotional songs with unconventional arrangements. Her output become more sporadic with Extraordinary Machine coming six years later and then The Idler Wheel… another seven years after that. Her reputation as a daring and serious artist has never been in question.

Extraordinary Machine may be more accessible, but it remains an art-pop album in its attitude, intent, and presentation — it's just that the presentation is cleaner, making her attitude appealing and her intent easier to ascertain, and that's what makes this final, finished Extraordinary Machine something pretty close to extraordinary.

Extraordinary Machine is a complex, versatile breakup record, with Apple playing McCartney-esque piano lines over skipping rhythms on melodically rich, lyrically thorny songs like 'O' Sailor' and 'Better Version of Me.' You try squeezing the word 'stentorian' into hooks you can belt at karaoke.