Crazy has entered the building

Fiona Apple has long been known for two things: writing eye-opening, nuanced piano songs and being crazy. Neither of the two has changed in the six years since her last album, the consistent and underappreciated (if dense and inaccessible) When the Pawn... For starters, anyone who downloaded the leaked version of the album in the past year or so will be happy to learn that the final mix sounds much better than what was passed around on the internet. Producer Jon Brion was dropped in favor of hip-hop producer Mike Elizondo, and the album was re-recorded. The final result is one of relieving quality -- I say relieving because the original recording really sucked.\nThe opener "Extraordinary Machine" continues in the cabaret vein that had been explored on Apple's last album, featuring (of course) lyrics about strained relationships and emotional malaise. This time, however, someone's playing an oboe. Though the opener is not entirely impressive, the next two songs ("Get Him Back" and "O' Sailor") are phenomenal, layered, nuanced, you name it. The latter is the first radio single, though by now Apple's fans have come to expect few particularly commercial singles from her.\nThe new production features tasteful string arrangements, but it still allows for Apple's piano to ring clearest. "Tymps (the Sick in the Head Song)" has a lilting rhythm and an extremely memorable chorus -- it's my favorite track on the album. The second single off the record is "Parting Gift," another daring choice given that it isn't nearly as catchy as earlier songs like "Paper Bag" (not to mention "Criminal"). "Window," however, is slightly catchy but extremely riveting. "Oh Well" is reminiscent of some of the songs off of 1996's Tidal, which is to me a welcome return to the originality of Apple's earlier work that snagged me as a fan in the first place.\n"Please Please Please" is one of the most upbeat, rocking songs on the record, proving again that Apple has continued to improve as a songwriter. "Red Red Red," another sweeping ballad with arresting piano and sharp lyrics, follows after this. "Not About Love" starts out with Apple's husky voice seemingly flat and turns into staccato show-tunes. That's not to say that it's bad ("interesting," rather), but it's got a Broadway flair that appears out of nowhere.\nFiona Apple is more famous for shooting her mouth off at inopportune times -- the most memorable instance probably being the 1997 MTV Music Awards. Still, despite the derision she has earned (and the media's unending fixation on her being a rape survivor), there's something to be said for looking past all of her erratic exclamations and paying attention instead to the music that she writes herself (rare enough in and of itself).\nApple was 19 when Tidal was released, anyway -- God knows we all said stupid things at that age. Extraordinary Machine is a welcome return after half a decade spent under the radar, and if this record is any indication, Apple's continued artistic growth will yield more consistently solid records. Let's just hope it's not 2011 before we find out.