Fiona Apple’s Fetch The Bolt Cutters is the artist’s fifth studio album and her first to be released since 2012. The Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter has had a long and illustrious career in music spanning back to the 1997 hit “Criminal”.

Fetch The Bolt Cutters is Apple’s most unconventional and is a complete whirlwind of sound and emotion which was enough to earn it the prestigious 10 out of 10 rating from Pitchfork.

Apple’s older music such as “Not About Love” expresses her anger and discontent with men, which is why, in 2020, she feels the need to fetch the bolt cutters. The album does just this, it cuts the heavy lock on her heart and exposes a softer, yet confident Apple.

The album’s opening track, “I Want You To Love Me,” sets the tone for the album, as Apple confidently shares her innermost desire, “I want what I want and I want you to love me.” Gone are the days of immature love as Apple becomes aware of her limited time on Earth.

She also takes time to reflect on her past in “Shameika.” We should all be grateful for Shameika, who told an impressionable Apple that she “had potential.” Apple has always been the anxious, sullen, voiceless girl but it is through Shameika’s priceless words that she finds her talents. Because of Shameika, Apple will no longer be kicked “Under The Table” because she knows her worth.

A hallmark of Fetch The Bolt Cutters is the raw, unfiltered avant-garde sound that comes to life through yelling, metal cans, dog barks, and raspy vocals. Her sound is really breakthrough because of how unconventional and raw it is.

Apple’s maturity and refinement as an artist are also apparent in her lyrics which sing like a story. That is truly what Fetch The Bolt Cutters feels like, a beautiful and intimate story of Apple’s life and experiences. This story is often a very troubling one, like in “For Her,” which comments on subjects of abuse and rape.

Fetch The Bolt Cutters also meshes perfectly into the current world situation both sonically and lyrically. Songs like “Fetch The Bolt Cutters” perfectly describe the pandemic as Apple sings, “fetch the bolt cutters, I’ve been in here too long.” She also takes time to self-reflect and looks back on past relationships in “Newspaper.”

The album was recorded over the span of 5 years mostly in Apple’s Venice Beach home and was timely released on April 17, 2020. Fiona Apple’s Fetch The Bolt Cutters is a powerful album and comes at a time where we could all enjoy music that is deeply personal and carries the message of “we are all in this together.”