It’s cute. Then it’s burlesque. Then it’s angry. This is all in the first 15 seconds. Just like the rest of Fiona Apple’s career, it’s an insanely emotional ride — rising and diving, tirading, and above all else, powerful. Even at its quietest moments, her quivering near-whisper voice displays an amazing array of emotions. The instruments, a simple piano and acoustic guitar, are rarely heard together and are surprisingly quiet, letting her voice take hold of the song.
And it never ceases to amaze. The song doesn’t feel “long” or “short,” at no part can you tell you’re near the end, and by seconds in so much has happened it feels like minutes have passed. War chants. It’s her first release in several years, and this will make the wait until June for the rest of the album much more bearable.