Fiona Apple When The Pawn

3.5 stars out of 5 - "...richer, deeper and stronger than TIDAL [Apple's 1st record] in every way....Apple bears down on her voice and piano with enough rock command to produce some truly fine songs..."
8 out of 10 - "...a breakthrough and even more fun....Finding a groove that rocks, swings, and occasionally hip-hops lets Fiona concentrate on emoting, which she does in full-on mock seriousness. The results are delicious..."
"...consistent, rhythmic and forceful....[taking] chances that continually pay off....PAWN is the work of an original, albeit a developing one....genuinely inspiring..." - Rating: A
4 stars out of 5 - "...a handsome record, well worth perservering with and a massive step forward....Part Jewel-with-tunes, part Tori-Amos-without-kookiness...fueled by Apple's own stomping piano, is unafriad of a soaring chorus to complememt the angular verses..."
5 stars out of 5 - "...WHEN THE PAWN is a bold, brave and bruised album of searing intensity and disarming honesty - part poetry, part therapy and wholly brilliant..."
3 out of 5 - "...a solid effort that expands beyond the angsty-woman-with-piano label....musically Apple proves to be wise beyond her years....a cohesive album rife with jazz sensibilities..."
"...even more sure of her weighty insecurities. The arrangements...are equally rich....filled with confidence..."
"...With her sturdy, two-fisted piano playing and a voice that belies her relative youth, Apple unfurls deceptively up-tempo tracks that make pain and guilt seem like perfect pop fodder..."
"...a more muscular, richer affair that finds Ms Apple displaying a far broader emotional range....proving that Apple is following a compelling progression that so many of her compatriots have failed to chart..."