As most of you know, Fiona Apple’s anticipated third LP has been shelved by execs at Epic Records, though the title track, “Extraordinary Machine”, has spilled onto the net and can be readily downloaded. Listening, I’m struck by two things:
1.) This is SO cool. Jon Brion obviously cut this track in the same mold as his quirky Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack. Pings and chimes abound. Fiona sounds great, as always, finding rhymes where none have a right to dwell, all the while reminding one of a diva in some 1950s Hollywood musical. The way she clips short the syllables in the word “Extraordinary” makes me fall in love with her all over again (Damn you, P. T. Anderson! I’ve got initials too, you know.)
2.) I can TOTALLY understand why Epic is taking so long to sponge the shite out of their shorts. How do you convince radio-stations to play a song like this? Can’t you just hear the marketing department scratching their collective melon over this riddle?
Pimply sub-associate: “I think there’s a retro station in Austin that would play it.”
Grizzled Senior VP: “What? Is Mary Fuckin’ Poppins the DJ?”
The leaking of the title track (was it Brion’s camp that let it slip?) might put some pressure on the Epic cronies to give the people what they want (see point #1) or merely serve as evidence in support of their “our hands are tied – she’s a nutter” position (see #2). In this duel, we’re predicting Apple to end up the victor. Seeing that her LA art camp is so tight and pretentious, this sort of callous corporate treatment will only serve to galvanize her position.
Whatever happens (or doesn’t happen) count on Stylus to keep you updated!