Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1996…

#5 – Tidal – Fiona Apple

It’s nice to discover a favorite artist right on the ground floor. Such was the case with Fiona Apple, whose debut album quickly became a staple for both my future wife and me. And while my wife didn’t stay onboard for Apple’s subsequent releases, I found them even more enchanting than this one.

Tidal does sound like a debut at times. It’s a bit overwritten and over-serious. It doesn’t have the playfulness or rhythmic experimentation of her next few records. But as an introduction to an extraordinary new talent, it’s a bracing and emotional work of art.

First single ‘Shadowboxer’ announced Apple as a unique talent, one whose voice and songwriting chops couldn’t possibly belong to a teenager. But third single ‘Criminal’ made her a star, its provocative video stirring up controversy and charges of exploitation. The song reached #21 on the Hot 100, giving Apple her only career entry on the chart.

Opener ‘Sleep To Dream’ is another standout, one with a musical muscularity absent on the album’s piano-driven back half. Gorgeous ballad ‘Never is a Promise,’ in which Apple demonstrates the full range of her peerless voice, is the highlight of Side Two.

It’s crazy to think Apple has released only four more albums in the 30 years since she dropped this wonderful debut.