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THE REVIEW
When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He'll Win the Whole Thing 'Fore He Enters the Ring There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won't Matter, 'Cuz You'll Know That You're Right.
More commonly (and understandably) known by the less enigmatic title 'When the Pawn'.
There are artists/albums that come to light to amaze (and succeed).
And there are albums that, no matter how beautiful, intense, and 'lived', fail for various reasons to break through and earn the reward they deserve.
Perhaps, all in all, this is not the case with this album released in 1999, the second by the young (at the time only twenty-two-year-old) New York singer...
An album that is incredibly homogeneous, well-composed, well-interpreted, and surprisingly mature. So mature that it overshadows the still excellent debut album.
Fragile ballads and introspective lyrics in which it is not difficult to trace a tormented and sometimes authentically dramatic adolescence (Fast As You Can, for example). The tracks flow smoothly, and one willingly lets themselves be carried away by her splendid voice, and the sensations it evokes directly, even when the rhythm becomes more pressing, and the piano notes strive to carry everything onto slightly more 'rocking' tracks.
But in reality, it's those ballads soaked in languid melancholy (A Mistake, Love Ridden, Get Gone) that enchant the listener.
An album in which the music sounds almost 'banal' (in the sense that there is nothing, musically speaking, that screams masterpiece), but it's a banality that captivates and which – not a minor achievement – is anything but repetitive and monotonous.
And ultimately, combined with her voice's versatile and personal tone, makes this album a small masterpiece.
Personally, and without exaggerating, I consider it one of the most successful 'female' albums of the last decade. We (I), since '99, have been waiting here for this small miracle in music to happen again...
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Summary by Bot
This review praises Fiona Apple's 1999 album 'When the Pawn' for its maturity and cohesion. It highlights the emotional depth of her lyrics and the captivating nature of her voice, particularly in melancholic ballads. The album is described as a small masterpiece and one of the best female-led records of the last decade. Despite not being musically groundbreaking, its charm lies in the emotional intensity and versatility.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple is an American singer-songwriter and pianist from New York City. Across five studio albums, she’s known for uncompromising, piano-led songwriting, elastic vocals, and inventive rhythms that push art-pop into raw, personal territory.09 Reviews
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