Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel (2012)

I don't know, man, I've just got a soft spot on the surface of my heart for this woman. She could record an album onto her phone based on songs she improvised while singing to herself in the shower and I would probably love it. She has such a deep, soulful voice.

I know The Idler Wheel isn't for everybody. It's discordant, piano-heavy music that Fiona will sometimes just scat over, but I like it because of the sound of that voice and because her stuff sounds raw and real. Someone criticizing would probably call it white-girl jazz. I get it. This is my black licorice. You like it or you don't.

Here's a sample of lyrics displaying her soulfulness from the song "Regret":

Remember when I was so sick and you didn't believe me?

Then you got sick too and guess who took care of you?

You hated that, didn't you? Didn't you?

Now when you look at me, you're condemned to see

The monster your mother made me to be

And there you got me. That's how you got free. You got rid of me.

Now, the music doesn't remotely sound like you'd imagine it to be. It's even more powerful and more unnerving than it reads. And when she reaches the chorus in the song above, my goodness, she is singing and isn't even on key and doesn't care. Of course she can sing on key, but she's trying to be true to the feeling she wants to capture.