Round 1: Fiona Apple v. Tame Impala

[Repo]

I think y0u guys spoiled me during the play-in round. Both of these underwhelmed me. Fiona comes off as a try hard and this Tame Impala album just seems lazy and half-baked compared with his previous releases.

Neither!

[Patman360]

Both good albums but nowhere near either's best album at the same time, gotta pick Fiona Apple though.
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2023
2022

[Fischman]

Can't bring myself to rave about the Apple here, but I can bring myself to give her my vote.

[baystateoftheart]

Listening to each again solidified my initial view of them. Fetch The Bolt Cutters is an inspired and intricate work of art, combining raw emotion and progressive instrumentation. I don't love all the songs, but it's a strong effort from Apple that's solidly in my top 20 of the year with a 4/5. Contrary to some, I really like the poppier sound Parker is exploring with The Slow Rush. However, this is about twice as long and meandering as it should be. I would cut some filler tracks that have thin songwriting, and greatly shorten many of the other songs. As is, it's slightly off my chart with a low 3.5/5.
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[sandboy]

I'm not a fan of Tame Impala to begin with, unfortunately, and The Slow Rush is probably my least favourite offering from them. Certainly nothing grating, and it goes down easy. 'Lost in Yesterday' is a cool track. I've never been to sure how I'm meant to react or feel to Tame Impala's music - I guess I'm meant to vibe out at my desk and wish I was on drugs or something. That's cool if you're into that.

It's pretty much the go-to to say Fetch The Bolt Cutters is good but not *that* good. Pitchfork still managing to shoehorn themselves into musical framing. It's a fine album, I do wish it was maybe slightly more concise. Apple is a talented musician, and she's head and shoulders above everyone else doing what she's doing. Easily her best, and I struggle to see how she could top it.
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hello

[meccalecca]

[cestuneblague]

Yeah I don't think Fiona Apple's album is a perfect unicorn ("Shameika" always rubbed me the wrong way, felt like her first true punching-down moment, and the last couple of songs deliver a surprisingly limp landing) and I guess now it's okay to say that and not get called an Incel (I'm joking for the love of god don't let this drown out the thread), but it's so full of great ideas and feels like the perfect continuation/counter-point to The Idler Wheel in how many different directions it takes and (mostly) succeeds. I have no interest in Tame Impala anymroe and this album did nothing to change that, so Fetch the Bolt Cutters.

[kokkinos]

I thought I was done with casting my votes for this round, but this one somehow escaped my attention, maybe because I thought this would be an extremely one-sided matchup I didn't bother. Anyway, there was a time I liked Tame Impala, but that's a thing of the past and this album did nothing to convince me otherwise.
Fetch The Bolt Cutters gets my vote.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[baystateoftheart]

Fetch The Bolt Cutters defeats The Slow Rush 17-8 to advance to the sweet sixteen.
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