Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine

The story of Fiona Apple's new album, Extraordinary Machine, is every bit as twisted and intriguing as the singer's lyrics. The first version was completed over a year ago, but the studio's disapproval over a lack of radio-friendly singles, coupled with the songs being leaked onto the internet, resulted in Apple returning to the studio to re-record the album.

She replaced most of the tracks done by Jon Brion, producer of her critically-acclaimed sophomore effort When the Pawn Hits, with tracks by Mike Elizondo, best known for his work with Dr. Dre and Eminem. Thus while Apple's old producer Brion went to make a hip-hop album, Kanye West's Late Registration, Apple went to work with one of hip-hop's top producers. The result is an album with strong beats that leave space for Apple's equally strong lyrics, and while it may not be as inventive as Brion's version would've been, it's still a triumph.

Amidst the familiar doses of angry confidence we have come to expect from Fiona, we find something new in Apple's voice: joy. Check out her pronunciation of "extraordinary" on the title track, or the way her voice soars on Not About Love. And while the majority of the lyrics were written in the wake of her break-up with writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson, these are not your typical break-up songs. Fiona continues to provide deep, intelligent lyrics, coated with sadness but also brimming with poise and toughness.

As she says on Please Please Please, "My method is uncertain. It's a mess, but it's working." Better Version of Me is an up-tempo gem, as Apple defiantly demonstrates her maturation, saying, "I don't want a home, I'd ruin that. Home is where my habits have a habitat." With its' rollicking drum pattern, the song has a hip-hop feel, as Elizondo's production provides a wonderful canvas for Apple's imagery.

The title track, one of two Jon Brion songs that remain on the record, has a unique and enjoyable sound created by Brion playing the marimba (I have no idea what it is either, but trust me, it works). The other Brion song, Waltz (Better Than Fine), has that cinematic feel that Brion is so deft at creating. Apple's lyrics are surprisingly whimsical, signaling her growth as an artist and her insistence on defying critics' attempts to pigeonhole her as angry and depressed. As she says at the end of the song, "Everyone else's goal's to get big-headed, why should I follow that beat? Being that I'm better than fine."

Oh Well, a sardonic take on love, contains such introspective lyrics as, "My peace and quiet was stolen from me. When I was looking with calm affection, you were searching out my imperfections." Red, Red, Red is a slow, haunting ballad where Apple releases some anger over her lost love, as she sings, "He's been pretty much yellow, and I've been kind of blue. But all I can see is red, red, red, red, now what am I gonna do?"

Apple remains one of pop music's most gifted lyricists, and Mike Elizondo's sparse and melodic beats prove to be the perfect backdrop for her clever and emotional wordplay. One can't help but think that a "thanks" is in order for the executives at Epic Records for shelving that first version of the album, as well as to whoever leaked it onto the net, for the result is a more accessible record that allows the strongest aspect of Apple's artistry to shine: her words.