From the first track, Sleep to Dream, Fiona grabs you with her strong vocals, both in their performance and their lyrics. Fiona effortlessly transitions from such passionately angry pieces as Sleep to Dream to quieter, piano-centered pieces like Sullen Girl, giving us, through voice and lyric, a musical journey through the range of emotions that make up the ebb-and-flow of a young woman's journey through romantic life (that ebb-and-flow being the inspiration of the album's name, Tidal.)

Other notable pieces are of course the quite famous Criminal, with its jazzy, self-impugning look at romantic sin; The First Taste, combining a dance beat with all of Fiona's subtle lyrical poeticism, and the perhaps underappreciated Never is a Promise, a breathtakingly beautiful, melancholy song about the limits to which one can communicate one's essence, even to those one most deeply cares about.

Fiona sings with a maturity, her lyrics reveal a depth, her music demonstrates a passion most would say was "beyond her years." To me, Fiona demonstrates clearly that popular music created by a young person (Fiona was only 18 when this was released), need not sound like the general conception of what popular music created by a young person sounds like (e.g.. the Pop Princess Cabal.) No, this is the beautiful work of a profoundly mature young artist, and it is one that you cannot afford to miss.

28 of 31 found the following review helpful:


"Tidal" wave  Jan 30, 2005 By E. A Solinas "ea_solinas"
Fiona Apple has become one of those few singer-songwriters who is known for her talent, with only two albums to her name. Her debut "Tidal" is more uneven than her sophomore album, but Apple's rich voice and exquisite musicianship make up for the occasional lyrical stumbles.

"You say love is a hell you cannot bear/And I say gimme mine back and then go there for all I care," Apple sings in the first song, her alto suspended somewhere between a purr and a snarl. Backling her up is her own textured piano playing, backed by a heavy bass lick that pops up every few seconds like a tribal drum.

But unworthy lovers aren't the only topic that Apple tackles here. She also explores personal changes ("And I suddenly feel like a different person/From the roots of my soul come a gentle coercion"), hurting others in love, and "You'll say "don't fear your dreams"/It's easier than it seems."

Her songs are painfully deep in themselves, but it's all the more shocking and stunning when you realize that she was only eighteen when the album was released. Her music exudes the sorrow, anger and emotion of a woman twenty years older, mixed in with the ever-changing personality of a young girl. Music like this can't be calculated; it can only ever be real.

Her youth does show in songs like "Pale Summer," or certain awkward lines like "Oh, your love give me a heart contusion/Adagio breezes fill my skin with sudden red." It sounds a bit too overblown, in a high-school poetry way. But Apple has a rare way with simpler lines, giving them a verbal punch that a shadowboxer couldn't match. "I have never been so insulted in all my life/I could swallow the seas to wash down all this pride!" she snarls in the first song.

But honestly speaking, Apple could sing some really dreadful songs and they would still sound good -- her voice is another thing that was much older than she was, the sort of thing you'd expect to find in a thirtysomething torch singer. Her husky alto carries the songs with a rare intensity, backed with swelling strings and her delicate piano melodies.

There are a few lyrical stumbles in Fiona Apple's debut "Tidal," but it's still a pop masterpiece. Beautiful, intense, heartfelt and heartbreaking.

20 of 22 found the following review helpful:


Great Art  Jul 05, 2000 By jman "Jack"
Fiona's voice is a distinct beauty. Her songwriting is beyond her years--powerful and honest.

I didn't like Fiona when I first heard her way back in '96 (seems like eons ago). I thought "shadowboxer" was boring. A year later I still didn't like her or her new song, "sleep to dream"--it was boring too. But I began to respect her, artistically. I knew she had talent and could sing and write very well (a combination lacking in today's music). By the end of 1997, I fell in love with her song, "sullen girl" and the rest of her album, through a friend's copy of "TIDAL".

Now "sleep to dream" is one of my favorite songs, and I also like "shadowboxer". "Sullen Girl" is a song anyone, male or female, could relate to in regards to the lyrics:'Days like this, I don't know what to do with myself . . .' Of course the song turns out to be about her rape. The rest of the album is flawless. Even the slower, less appealing tracks, "The Child is Gone", "Slow Like Honey" have a unique, beautiful sound. It's hard to pick a favorite track cuz there's so many good ones--"Never is a Promise" is a meditation on hopelessness and that familiar suicidal urge, "Criminal" is one of the best songs to hit the airwaves in years, and "The First Taste" is perfect.

Overall, this is an impressive debut. It's rare to find a young female artist who can sing AND write so well.

9 of 9 found the following review helpful:


A Beautiful And Astounding Debut  Apr 22, 2005 By Busy Body
I was first compelled to explore the music of Fiona Apple after hearing the complications her third album "Extraordinary Machine" has had in getting released, due to her record company's refusal to put it into manufacture because of the lack of any 'radio material'. I for one was disgusted by this, and my disgust was confirmed even more when I finally bought this album. I always kind of knew that buying an album by Miss Apple would be a wise move, but I didn't know just how good...

Let's just get a few things straight; this album is absolutely f**king incredible. Nothing less than an alternative female rock masterpiece, and undoubtedly one of the greatest albums I've ever purchased. "Tidal" is its name, released in July 1996, when Fiona was a mere 19 years old. It was certified Gold in December of the same year, and has currently racked up US sales of 3 million. Apple possesses a raw yet smooth voice, which is rather smoky and jazzy. Her music is primarily rock but boasts hints of jazz and pop. Her songwriting is incredible, totally something else. She's quite the poet.

The album opens with the amazing "Sleep To Dream." The thumping beat that opens this song soon manifests into a raging and man-hating rock classic! Fiona's vocals here are amazing, and the song has great lyrics. "Sullen Girl" is one of the most amazing songs on the album. It's such a beautiful and tranquil song. It's a really brilliant break-up song, with visual lyrics such as "Calm under the waves in the blue of my oblivion." There's some very relaxing sounds swirling around in the background towards the end of this song, making it very memorable and a perfect song to relax to. Fiona is like a mermaid in this deep ocean of a song. "Shadowboxer" is a real grower, which I didn't really like much to begin with. After a few listens, though, I absolutely love it. This song is so powerful and moving, and it all comes from that amazing voice. Here, Fiona's vocals bellow all over the arrangement which works amazingly with the piano. The song tells the story of a destructive relationship, with almost a hint of physical abuse. This may not be the case, but the ambiguity adds furthermore to its intrigue.

"Criminal" is one of the songs that was released as a single from the album, and perhaps the most well-known. The song is an uptempo rocker with lyrics about how Fiona sees herself as a criminal because she toyed with a boy's emotions. It's a great song and was a huge hit. I love the bridge halfway through the song as Fiona's vocals climb and climb until she's absolutely belting her acid-tongued voice out. Stunning. "Slow Like Honey" is another beautiful and relaxing song, and the most Jazz-like song on the album. The piano creates this unusual atmosphere in the song as Fiona sings a Joni Mitchell-type classic. This song may take a while to really grab you, but once it does you'll be listening to it on repeat for hours. I just can't describe it anymore, but it's very surreal. "The First Taste" is the most experimental song on the album, and features a catchy piano riff that kicks in after the unforgettable line, "I do not struggle in your web, because it was my aim to get caught. But daddy longlegs, I feel that I'm finally growing weary of waiting to be consumed by you." One of the best parts of the song comes when Fiona sings, "Full is not heavy as empty, not nearly my love, not nearly my love, not nearly." Close your eyes at this point and you'll find yourself somewhere totally different. "Never Is A Promise" is probably the most beautiful song on the album and runs for almost six minutes. It's a slow and moving song that features little snippets that may last only a second or two, but which are so memorable that will be drawn back again and again. The lyrics are amazing, the most noticeable being ones such as "I realize what I am now too smart to mention - to you." What I love most about this song is the vocal style Fiona adopts; almost weary, lagging and tired of being hurt. Beautiful and astounding.

"The Child Is Gone" is a mid-tempo number with a swaying piano riff and some unusual lyrics. I'm not quite sure what this song is about, but I do like it. This album has 10 songs of pure genius, and while some are better than others, they're still all pretty damn good. "Pale September" is one of my favourites due to the amazing piano melody that Fiona incorporates into the song. It almost sounds like a lullaby, but rather ominous too; like something doesn't bode well for the future. The lyrics, however, contrast this; they're absolutely stunning. If you read the lyrics slowly and take in each word while Fiona sings them, you'll be transported - visually - to another place. "Carrion" is another great song, but probably my least favourite from the album. This is the last track on the album, and it closes the album in fine style. Fiona's vocals are very hushed, almost whispered, which creates an intimate setting between the listener and herself.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

Fiona Apple has only had two albums released to date, the aforementioned "Tidal" and its 1999 follow-up "When The Pawn..." I bought both albums at the same time, and actually liked the latter much more. Tidal took a while to grow on me, but after repeated listens I can't stop listening to it. It's really impossible for me at this stage to saw which album I like the best - that kind of answer can only be given, at least in my case, in about a year. What this album brings for me is beautiful melodies, gorgeous vocals, thought-provoking lyrics and just something different to my already alternative CD collection. Only ten songs on this album, I hear you cry? Fear not, because in the case of Fiona Apple, less is most definitely more.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:


A sharp and stunning debut  May 02, 2000 By John Jones "Musician"
Right around the time Fiona Apple was garnering just as much airplay as she was accolades for "Tidal," her debut album, she also showed a knack for raising eyebrows: there was the video in her underwear, not to mention her denouncement of an MTV award as she accepted one. But for whatever maturity she lacked in public presentation was more than made up for in her music, as this lush and jazzy project proves.

The album kicks off with a bass-heavy drum lick and a husky a capella line: "I tell you how I feel but you don't care/I say tell me the truth but you don't dare/you say love is a hell you cannot bear/and I say give me mine back and then go there, for all I care." Clearly this is not the work of a producer-guided youth; Fiona is world- and love-weary beyond her years, evident in both her embittered lyrics and her husky alto. "Shadowboxer" was a loungey, sophisticated piece that nonetheless found its way to radio, and when a song like "Criminal" seemed tailor-made for radio, it was a mere coincidence; no artistic integrity spared here.

Other gems include the jazzy, Joni Mitchell-esque "Slow Like Honey," and the slinky groove of "The First Taste" (for the latter, imagine Sade with a dark side). Throughout the album Fiona further exerts her originality with arrangement; it's not every day that you hear acoustic piano and vibraphone in modern pop music. However, a trio of ballads in the second half of the album were arranged a little too similarly to have any one of them particularly stand out; a better result for listening to "Never is a Promise," "The Child is Gone," or "Pale September," while all perfectly acceptable and lovely ballads, would be to listen to them on shuffle in a multiple-disc changer.

But any complaints with "Tidal" are petty. With an album this strong, original, and just plain gorgeous, it is hard to find much fault with Fiona Apple...public antics and all.

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