FIONA APPLE: FETCH THE BOLT CUTTERS

Agreed: Best Album of the 2020s So Far

This review/essay originally appeared in the online magazine Copper, issue of May 29, 2020. It was one of the early entries of my column Wayne's Words, a gift bestowed on me by Copper editor Frank Doris. Copper is published by PS Audio, a manufacturer of very high-end, hand-crafted audio gear in Boulder, Co. Frank edits the free online magazine from his home office on Long Island; I had known Frank a little when I wrote for Newsday about his new wave-era band called The Lines. Until Copper, I really had no place to write except my Blogger blog, which also had the name Wayne's Words. (Never “Wayne’s World”: Who could be worthy?) After a brief shutdown during Covid, the magazine reemerged but could not to pay for new work, so now it publishes mostly archival material. But to pay it forward, and for more promotion for my 'stack, I give Frank the choice of any of my Substack articles he wishes to use for his now monthly magazine.

Last week, Pitchfork named its top albums of the 2020s, and