Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

Fiona Apple's fourth studio album, originally released in 2012 features "Werewolf," "Hot Knife," and opening track "Every Single Night." Full album title: The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do. Grammy nominated for Best Alternative Album.

The Idler Wheel... is a triumph of emotional clarity and raw artistry. Stripped down to its essence—Apple’s voice, piano, and minimal percussion—it captures a fierce intimacy rarely achieved in popular music. Its spare arrangements bring the intensity of her lyrics into sharp relief, allowing listeners to feel the tension and release in songs like "Every Single Night," "Regret," and "Werewolf." The result is a deeply honest, unguarded album that stands as a bold artistic statement.

This album also marks Apple’s most cohesive and self-assured expression yet. Without extraneous production, she commands attention through her poetic wordplay, unconventional rhythms, and the inventive contributions of drummer Charley Drayton. Together they craft an album that balances visceral power with profound vulnerability, reaffirming Fiona Apple as one of her generation’s most distinctive and fearless musical voices.

The album received widespread acclaim from critics, and was frequently included in year and decade-end lists by several publications; in 2020, Rolling Stone placed the album at No. 213 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Reviews

“Her magnetic vocals, the human element pulling us into these songs… stripped of all her carnivalesque accouterments… unwavering determination and cohesion.” – Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic

“The most distilled Fiona Apple album yet… fearlessly austere in comparison… light and incisive.” – Ryan Dombal, Pitchfork

“The Idler Wheel feels thoroughly modern because of Apple’s lack of an internal editor… urgency, of needing more than anything to make these exact statements at this exact moment.” – Jonathan Keefe, Slant Magazine

“One of the most daring pop records in recent history.” – Consequence of Sound