The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

AlbumJun 18 / 201210 songs, 42m 36s
Singer-Songwriter Art Pop
Popular Highly Rated
9.0 / 10

9.0 / 10

A

“These ideas of mine/percolate the mind/trickle down my spine/swarm the belly/swelling to a blaze.” So sings Fiona Apple on “Every Single Night,” the opening track and first official single from her first album in seven years, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More…

A

“These ideas of mine/percolate the mind/trickle down my spine/swarm the belly/swelling to a blaze.” So sings Fiona Apple on “Every Single Night,” the opening track and first official single from her first album in seven years, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More…

9 / 10

9 / 10

9 / 10

Whether it is ugly or beautiful, Apple is determined to shun the generic and share with us something personal. Never has that been truer than on The Idler Wheel.

9 / 10

Whether it is ugly or beautiful, Apple is determined to shun the generic and share with us something personal. Never has that been truer than on The Idler Wheel.

8.4 / 10

Perhaps the most defining moment in Fiona Apple’s career is the video for “Criminal” and the ensuing controversy over its…

8.4 / 10

Perhaps the most defining moment in Fiona Apple’s career is the video for “Criminal” and the ensuing controversy over its…

Check out our album review of Artist's The Idler Wheel... on Rolling Stone.com.

Check out our album review of Artist's The Idler Wheel... on Rolling Stone.com.

9.0 / 10

Since her 1996 debut Tidal, Fiona Apple has split her time between playing the little girl lost and the woman scorned—alternately struggling for freedom from lousy lovers and childhood horrors.

9.0 / 10

Since her 1996 debut Tidal, Fiona Apple has split her time between playing the little girl lost and the woman scorned—alternately struggling for freedom from lousy lovers and childhood horrors.

The Idler Wheel feels thoroughly modern because of Apple’s lack of an internal editor.

The Idler Wheel feels thoroughly modern because of Apple’s lack of an internal editor.

6 / 10

6 / 10

Fiona Apple's extraordinary new album makes quite some demands on the listener, but more than repays them, writes <strong>Dave Simpson</strong>

Fiona Apple's extraordinary new album makes quite some demands on the listener, but more than repays them, writes <strong>Dave Simpson</strong>

85 %

85 %

83 %

83 %

4.5 / 5

Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel... review:

4.5 / 5

Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel... review:

Cult singer-songwriter's fourth album takes comfort in its claustrophobia. CD review by Lisa-Marie Ferla

Cult singer-songwriter's fourth album takes comfort in its claustrophobia. CD review by Lisa-Marie Ferla

8 / 10

8 / 10