Fiona Apple - "Every Single Night"

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Listen to Fiona Apple's new single at least twice before making your judgment on quality. It will take at least that long for the delicate melody to sink in. At that point it just may be a bit difficult to get it out of your mind. There is a tension here as Fiona Apple looks deeper than most pop singles that both repels and attracts. In the end the latter will most likely win out as you find yourself listening again and again to ferret out the nuances in the words themselves and Fiona Apple's delivery of the words. It is a very welcome return for one of our most accomplished female singer-songwriters.

In terms of musical arrangement, this is one of the simplest and most spare of recent singles by a major artist. However, in lyrical content and vocal performance it is one of the most complex. Whether we want to follow or not, Fiona Apple gently pulls us into her own anxiety where, "Every single night's a fight with my brain." Her voice frequently feels fragile enough to break under the stress, but the power of the words will resonate long after the music ends.

It has been six years since the last single released by Fiona Apple. If "Every Single Night" is an indication, the wait for new material has been worth it. The next album titled, The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do is set to be released to stores June 19, 2012. Fiona Apple will also be setting out on a concert tour in support of the album. "Every Single Night" will certainly not instantly endear itself to every mainstream pop music fan. In an era where dance pop dominates top 40 radio, the delicate tinkling keyboard and Fiona Apple's often thin vocals that threaten to crack in the upper range require attention to reveal their rewards. After giving the song time to sink in, you may even find yourself relating to her cry, "I just want to feel everything."

A 20 year old Fiona Apple broke into the pop mainstream in 1997 with her first single "Criminal." It won a Grammy Award and made a significant impact on both pop and alternative charts. She has failed to repeat that success on singles charts, but along the way Fiona Apple has amassed critical acclaim through three solo albums, two certified platinum and one certified gold. "Every Single Night" is a welcome return and one of the most personally compelling singles of the year so far.