This is perfect, thank you for writing such a thoughtful and spot-on piece.

At last, an intelligent and perceptive analysis of this masterpiece by someone who really knows what she's talking about. I have not heard of Anya Marina before, but this article guarantees I will will dig deep to find out more. Bravo!

Truly well written and appreciated. I listened to that recent interview you mention in the article and I was blown away by how revealing (and honest) she was. I can't wait to listen to the album and I appreciate hearing someone digs her too.

Yes, good article! F.A. is an American treasure! I was at Apple's Arlene Schnitzer show last night, and I was very disappointed... only because of the sound. I don't know if the sound engineer was absent, but man...it was an insult to what could have been. Maybe it's because i was in the front row, on the side, in the upper level - but the terrible sound mix was distracting to her amazing vocals and when she actually played piano you couldn't discern the keys with all the low muddle from the bass.

Did anyone else have that problem at the show? Was it my seat?

Thanks!

Great article! I can relate because I was unable to listen to anything else until six full album plays had commenced. Then I chopped up Hot Knife and started working on a remix for the next hour or so. Then I realized it was 2am and I had to work in 7 hours so I tried to sleep but had a very hard time because the album was still playing in my brain. Its been a long time since an album had that kind of impact on me.

I saw the show last night and really enjoyed it, but yeah, the low-mids on down were pretty muddled. The upright bass sounds really nice on the album but wasn't as nice to hear last night due to the sound system. This coming from ears which were in the balcony. Fiona was scattered and kind of scary, but like the article mentions, I worry about her and that is engaging to say the least. When she sang her heart out: DAMN!!! Incredible. The band was much more psycho and loose than I expected, even on the ballads. They had some strange stuff going on, albeit subtle. I dug it. Mary Wood's drumming was very good and held together a bass/guitar duo that were slipping off the beat all night, intentionally (I think), and to extremely interesting effect. The guy on the magic keyboard/organ/fake chamberlain thing - well, he was masterful.

Best review I've seen of the album. Insightful and specific.

Awesome as well. After work I went and had the concert experience, which reminded me of the last times the Roots played, because the sound was boomy, but even some burned speakers smelt rad. Then I had to leave because who was with me kept receiving calls I guess it was the boss calling or something but the music was so loud that practically both of us had to scream into the phone but at the time or so I had to leave because I was falling asleep (because I came in straight from work), so I guess I was in 70% of the concert, Loved It. Hope to catch another tour date. I gave the ticket as a surprise to whom I went with me and the hug still affectionately "hurts". It was all very sincere and cristal clean open into the music experience. Thank you.

Hugely delayed comment, but this was the first time I've seen this review.

Your notes about feelings in music really struck a chord with me. Fiona did write this album only for herself, filling up to the point where these songs are a necessary expulsion of emotional buildup. But as Brenda Ueland says in If You Want to Write, "Yes, the more you wish to describe a Universal the more minutely and truthfully you must describe a Particular." Maybe that's why we feel when we listen to The Idler Wheel. Using a definition from Stranger in a Strange Land, we grok the music.

I'm reducing my music library these days, keeping only the sounds that evoke a feeling in me. By this measure, The Idler Wheel is one of those records I couldn't give up if I tried.