Another year over

With the end of the 2023-24 school year upon us, the Plaid Line/PRIZM would like to thank everyone that has supported our student contributors this year. There were a great many articles, stories and works of art that showed off the talents of many of HPSH’s students.

Amazingly, this was the 10th year that the Plaid Line has been online! Hopefully, we will be able to continue to bring student voices for many more years to come.

Again, thank you for your support. As always, we will be on hiatus until fall, but please check out our back catalog until we are able to provide new content in September!

-HPSH Plaid Line

THE SEARCH FOR XEO EPISODE 1: ARCERIUM RISING 6

By: Hoaseng Thao

NOTE: This story is a transcript from a fictional war documentary.

(Gunfire can be heard in the distance)

<< Searching for legends around these parts is very easy. Walk down one path, and you’d meet a man who saved hundreds from foreign mercenaries. (long pause) But “them”, you’re better off searching for in a fairy tale. >>

Long after the ceasefire that halted the Second Continentals War and thrusted the world into the Cold War, online forums, whose information flowed through the mass nexus of the internet like ocean currents, spoke of a mythical soldier, whose tales know no borders. The soldier, whose name is garbled by the mass exodus of the internet, garners both fear and admiration by those rife by war. And I am in search of this mythical soldier, whose name when sifted through forums can be traced down to one word, Xeo.

Xeo’s mythical status raised many concerns and questions like, what flag do they pledge allegiance to? Which superpower do you side with, Vaseria or Kavara? Do they consider Ashiran pizza as a crime against Earth? But my biggest concern was if they even existed. However, thanks to the endless connections of the internet, I was able to get into contact with several individuals willing to share their tales of them.

“The Coward”, a name used by locals around Tavpool to refer to one man, Skiven Nikulin. He was a former conscript of the Orbesjkan National Guard and a survivor of a deadly Kavaran CDP (Croatoke Defensive Pact) offensive. He is now a sheep herder in the town of Tavpool.

In 2042, the Orbesjkan Civil War was still plundering the nation after a decade of conflicts, but things turned for the worst following a surprise intervention by the CDP. Skiven Nikulin, a Lance Corporal at the time, was tasked to hold the city of Skirsk until reinforcements would arrive, but due to terrible weather conditions, and the overwhelming Kavaran army besieging the city, this would turn into the bloodiest battle the war had seen so far.

“BREAKING NEWS: CDP FORCES INVADE ORBESJKA AMID CIVIL WAR | Secretary of defense, Leon Tou, cancels meeting with Orbesjkan officials after-”

Skiven Nikulin

<< We were told that reinforcements would arrive in two days, then two weeks, two months, then… We were told to hold our rifles until there were only two rounds left in them. Only then should we take down one enemy before relieving ourselves of our (sighs) honorable duties. >>

I visited Skiven Nikulin at his farmstead in Tavpool. His son, who had heard the tales of his father’s supposed encounter with Xeo, saw my post on the online forum, “3Frum”, about the mythical soldier, before setting me up with an in person interview with him.

Skiven Nikulin

<< It was a rainy night, we had held out for four months by then, but they… The Kaviars (a derogatory term used for Kavarans) had already breached through the city walls. That night, I was cut off from friendly lines, and I… >>

(The man stood still for a while before coming back to his senses.)

<< I hid from the Kaviars amongst the dead. I wanted to live, I wanted to live just like those who I hid beneath. But I witnessed a Kaviar officer approach, ordering his men to fire amongst the bodies. I thought I had cheated death by hiding, only to pay the price of being a coward. That was until… >>

(Nikulin raised his right hand, formed it into a knife hand gesture before slashing it downward.)

<< The officer dropped to the ground. And he arrived. He stood proud above the body of the officer, only armed with a long blade. >>

(He repeats his slashing motion with his hand)

<< In an instant, the man sliced through the officer’s men like tofu. I couldn’t believe my eyes, I wasn’t aware of who he was at the time so I only thought about keeping quiet… But in an instant, the man disappeared. >>

(The man readjusted the ring on his middle finger as he let out a sigh of relief)

<< When morning came, I had returned to friendly lines, and I remembered telling my encounter with this man to my colleagues, who in turn joked around saying that I “had been saved by Xeo”. I was astonished that they already had a name made for him, but I thought of it as a joke. It wasn’t until my son informed me of this Xeo person, only then did I truly believe that it was him who saved me that night. >>

We will continue this investigation in our next episode, where we enter the Arcerium Rising Exclusion Zone, to meet a woman known by many as “The Runner”.

How to win every game of chess you’ll ever play

By: Daniel Kendle

(This article is a work of “exotic” satire, and the author has no disrespect towards chess, or to those who play it).

Hey guys, it’s me, anthropologist and taxidermist Chonga Dingle. In today’s article I’ll be going over a step-by-step guide on how to win every game of chess ever, and also how to be really cool while doing it. It seems that a lot of people forget that chess is extremely difficult, and because of such a truth I thought I must enlighten you on what to do correctly.

Anyways, in this video you must understand that I am a very fancy chess player, and as such I’ll be using terminology that all of you peons will be likely confused with as this film goes on. Unfortunately, I am also a very cruel chess player, and because of that I won’t be able to slow down for the misguided in our community. However, I’ll embolden any cryptic words that some may not know about. Hopefully this makes it so you can look up any weird phrases throughout this podcast (‘accessibility is key,’ and all that).

Okay, so the first thing new players need to know is that the best way to win is to have very dexterous hands. Dexterity is important in handling chess pieces, for the important reason of “because I said so.” But to have hands like mine, – the most flexible in the land – you’ll need the special “Finger Water” to slather over your hands. This requires you to walk 10,000 paces sideways up the Binga-Winga mountain, then talk to the Man, who’ll give you the Finger Water after doing a dance for him.

To learn this dance, you’ll need to go back home and walk 10,000 paces backwards to the Basilisk’s nest, where you need to rub the egg with your hand 58 times in a counterclockwise motion, where after the Basilisk chick will come out and give you a jetpack and the $19 ‘Fortnite’ card. After shaking hands, leave the nest and walk 6 miles west and give the jetpack to the Jumping Lady, who will teach you the dance in return.

Once you’ve learned the dance, wait a day before going back to the Binga-Winga mountain and perform it in front of the Man. He will shout his usual mating call, of which cannot be written on paper due to eldritch curses in the 16th century. Then he’ll hop down the Hole of Jobs and bring back an iPhone. This phone will now lead you to the Finger Water. Find the location of the water, dig up the hidden basin, and throw the phone inside it. This will make the water transform into the Finger Water, and you will be able to dip your hands in and achieve prime flexibility.

Okay, that was part 1, the infant’s ballad. Now I, Chonga Dingle, will teach you how to win every game of chess that you’ll ever play.

When you start a match, make sure you’ve applied the Finger Water before someone is gripping the first piece. If you forget and slather yourself in it after the game begins, you instantly explode and die (I’ve learned this from past experience). If desired, recite the ‘Allaying Chant of Chess’ after applying the water for a 15% boost in EXP during the match. Unlike the Man’s mating call, I can type it down in a written document, so here it is:

“The Allaying Chant of Chess” (Proximus Sol Version; abbreviated. Written by anonymous, published by Hobart J. Chess in 1192)

‘Humans of this beguiling night, see my worth
In this manic type of plight, through demons of mirth!
O, to be a acolyte to the Bringer, see me, yes
But I wish to be nothing more than a Pawn on your board, your board.’

(Hoo-ha AKAB. Hoo-ha AKAB).

‘Humans of the watching void, see my eyes
Sense the world destroyed, and see immortal laerds rise! Make me a tool in your wretched time of blood (blood), For I am but a Knight in the astral board of sight.’

(Hoo-ha AKAB. Hoo-ha AKAB).

‘Humans of the endless world, see me in your dreams,
Creatures of the curled, vigils of the seams.
But I am such a neophyte, an finite source of work
For the Rooks and Bishops of a different plane are those who judge Earth.’

(Hoo-ha AKAB. Hoo-ha AKAB).

‘To round off this cry for help, wailing to the stars,
I speed towards Venus, then to Mercury and Mars.
On the end of this planet are those who give me life (life), The King and Queen of misery, shapers of strife.’

(Hoo-ha AKAB. Hoo-ha AKAB. Hoo-ha AKAB. Hoo-ha AKAB).

Once you’ve done that, you’ll get a green rhombohedron above your head. This indicates the EXP boost. If you win, the percentage will double.

Now, playing chess is actually pretty simple, really. Simply cash in the $19 ‘Fortnite’ card you got from the Basilisk chick and you’ll instantly receive a catalog of different chess maneuvers, costing around a dollar each. These strategies were specifically chosen and designed by those of the Chess Chapel, and finalized by the Champion of Chess. Once you pick a move you want to play, a dollar will be depleted from your account and a specific piece will be moved.

However, you’ll eventually either run out of money or want to move pieces without depleting your ‘Chess Change,’ so that’s when we transition into traditional chess-playing. Now, everyone knows how to play chess, but this article is specifically on winning chess, so because of this loophole I get less work. If you’d like a brief overview of chess, however, then it’s basically players taking turns moving pieces along an 8×8 checkerboard.

This switching of playing traditional chess and “Microtransaction Chess” is how most games will play out in the current chess metagame. The key to winning is to balance spending and saving, and only purchasing stronger, paid moves with the $19 ‘Fortnite’ card when a safe strategy presents itself. However, now it’s time for Chonga Dingle’s patented “Chess Chatter,” where I go over some important tips and fun facts.

  • In 1832, Bosk Omat Chess taught the very first animal to play chess. You may think that he’d would’ve taught a dog, cat, or mouse, but instead explained the game to his pet anteater, Ringo. If you recite this factoid during a game of chess, you receive an additional 5% EXP boost.
  • If both players run out of money on their gift card during the same round of a game, the pair must sing the Allaying Chant of Chess again, because the rare round in which this can happen will often be considered bad luck by chess aficionados.
  • Chess pieces are made from Chessnuts. They’re harvested and further-manufactured in Chessapeake Bay.
  • Chesster Chess was seen as the world’s best chess player during the mid-2000’s thanks to his unique and intricate tactics during matches. His “main” was the Rook (a zoner option), and implemented the “Chesster Bester” technique, where through the button combinations “Up-Up-Left-L1-L2-Down,” he could infinitely lock other players into a state of perpetual stun-locking during a game of chess, eventually culminating in a K.O. This input chain could be performed seconds into the match, making him one of the deadliest players in ‘Mortal Pawnbat: Khessmageddon’ in 2006.
  • If you move your Queen piece during 7 consecutive turns without losing any other pieces on your side, you’ll unlock a unique move called the “Lucky-7 Finisher.” This move has a pawn in the right corner of the player who uses it, and the piece then moves up-right 8, then left 8, making a vaguely-shaped 7. Any pieces in the way of the 7 are given to the player who enacts the move.
  • The Chess Council has received numerous requests for nerfs for the finisher, but even through balance patches the move still hasn’t been gutted. The finisher was added in the 1.9 update back in 1901, leading to a lot of people sticking to rules and formatting from the 1.8 update released in 1772.
  • In ‘Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 3DChess and PiiU,’ several fun playable characters were added. Some were 1st party characters, like Little Rook and Pawnutena, as well as 3rd party, external characters from non-chess games, like Checkers Man, Bayochaturanga, and also Pac-Man. The game’s successor, going by the subtitle ‘Pawntimate’ included King K. Rook, Bishopleth, and Kazuya from ‘Settlers of TeCatan.’
  • The following are new pieces under consideration to be added in the 1.11 update for chess:

○ Squire: like the Knight, the squire moves in a vaguely 7-shaped pattern. However, instead of moving 2 tiles forward, it moves 1 tile forward and then 1 to the left or right.

○ Wolf: the Wolf hunts the Knight, since the latter takes on the appearance of a horse. During a game of chess, the Wolf can only be moved to a tile immediately in a Knight’s vicinity.

○ Tank: Tanks can only move along the edges of the board, but can move as many places as they want within this limitation.

○ Ghost: Ghost pieces can revive 1 chess piece during a game, but have to be discarded right after being used.

○ Flamingo: similar to their real-life counterpart, if at least 2 of a player’s flamingos are placed next to each other, they become immortal and can’t be claimed.

○ Bouncy Ball: when first used in a game, these pieces can move 10 spaces forward. The next turn they can be moved 9, then 8, then 7, and so on until reaching 0, where they must be discarded.

○ Remote Control: players can only use a Remote Control piece once per game. When used, it lets Player A move one of Player B’s pieces.

○ Thimble: if a player moves the Thimble around all 4 sides of the board during a game, they get $200 (now with optional race-car, dog, and top hat cosmetic skins).

○ Alien: Alien pieces introduce the new “Colonization” mechanic to chess, where a player can claim the opposing player’s Rook and transform it into a fortress, which acts as a shield for the King. A player must attack the castle 5 times to break into it, and then can finally reach the King.

○ Electric Eel: this piece “stuns” any opponent’s piece it’s next to for 4 turns, making that piece incapable of moving.

○ Submarine: Submarines aren’t able to be attacked by Pawns, but if a sub on 1 player’s side is eliminated, the other sub they get is too.

Well, it seems that we’ve reached the end of this show. After teaching you all of my chess tricks and tips, you may be wondering about my credibility as a source. Well, I, Chonga Dingle, have been seen as a primary chess master and teacher since the game’s inception 50-ish years ago. Thousands have been taught under my wing, and I’ve been heralded as a leading face of chess for decades. Heck, I’ve never even played chess before, THAT’S how good I am.

But I digress; it seems that you’re ready to begin your adventure into the world of chess, and I couldn’t be happier. Young pupil, I wish you well, and hope that your future is very much a bright beacon for chess-playing and teaching. Until next time, loyal radio-listeners, as I bid you…

…adieu.

How to manage school stress

By: Calla Fragassi

Image generated by: Deepai.com

Coming towards the last couple weeks of the school year, I’ve realized that there are a lot of things I either did, or wish I did, to help manage my stress throughout this school year. I’ve had to come up with ways to keep myself on task with school but also not let my work pile up too much to the point where it was more than I could handle. Here are a few of the best tips I’ve learned when it comes to managing school stress:

Staying organized

Staying organized is the key to keeping up with your schoolwork. Keeping a tidy and clean place to do homework like a desk or at a table will help you focus on finishing your assignments without distractions. This also goes for keeping your papers and notebooks organized; use folders and try to keep everything as put together as you can!

Use your school resources/ work time

One thing I’ve found extremely helpful with school is using the resources and time given to me in class. This includes asking for help from teachers and peers, using given class time to complete assignments, as well as using different places to get work done like the CCRC or the library. Focusing on getting your work done in school and asking questions will limit the amount of time you will have to spend outside of school on assignments.

Get good sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep before school will encourage you to be more engaged in school, and will improve your brain’s ability to focus and process information. Being deprived of sleep will make your body weaker and you will be more susceptible to becoming stressed. I try to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night to help reduce my stress levels during the school year.

Keep a schedule

Last, but not least is keeping a schedule. This has been the most helpful thing for me this school year to stay on top of my schoolwork. Making a list every Monday of all the work I need to complete by the end of the school week, and the due dates of my assignments, is a great way to remember what I need to get done. This helps me plan out a schedule for which assignments will take more time/need more attention. I would also recommend getting a planner or downloading an app to help you visualize what work you need to finish by the end of the week or before the due date.

Overall, there are many different ways to reduce your stress levels during the school year to help enhance your academic performance as well as your mental and emotional well-being. Focusing on these different strategies is especially important because it can benefit you with lifelong stress management skills. Each of these has helped me this school year and I hope they can benefit you as well.

The importance of time capsules

By: Trump Vang

Think about a time when you were younger. Was it at home playing with toys? Being at school with your friends? Taking a late night walk? All of these things are brought back through your memories. Through the bad, the good and the strange they are a part of you and make you who you are today. It’s inevitable that you’ll forget events and things every once and a while; you’re not going to remember everything that happens in your life.

Now imagine that you wanted future generations to learn and know these important parts of your life. Imagine that you have to place your memories in a physical box to be locked away. Now this is what many call Time Capsules.

Time Capsules are essentially mini libraries of goods or information from the past. They don’t take much to make, with only a container with meaningful and relevant objects inside. They tell us a lot of information about the past and about how people lived, their cultures, social norms, etc. The information is limited but broad which makes it valuable.

Many may think of time capsules as boxes that you bury beneath the ground, though they can be, and mean much more than that. One example of this notion are the space crafts known as Voyager 1 & Voyager 2. These spacecraft are specially fitted with a gramophone record used to depict culture here on Earth to extraterrestrials. Anything from music to images and greetings are included on the spacecraft. As time capsules they show a time period of Earth and its own cultures and social norms.

Time Capsules can really be anything as long as they preserve the stories of those from the past. They are important to learn about the past and its path to who and where we are today. While history can be left out to wither, keeping it in preservation is integral. Time Capsules do an amazing job at this, preserving items until they can be maintained in a proper place, such as a museum. Without them, we wouldn’t have as much information in history as we do today; a lot of information is lost to time, and simply keeping it will perpetuate those important values. That is the importance of Time Capsules.

‘Snow Angel’ album review

By: Sophia Elmstrom

‘Snow Angel’ is Reneé Rapp’s debut album with only an EP out called ‘Everything to Everyone’. This album came out November 2023 and it is about 48 minutes long in total with 16 songs.

Reneé Rapp has recently gained a new level of popularity from the ‘Mean Girls’ remake which is a musical. Reneé was in ‘Mean Girls’ on Broadway and was an actor before she started her singing career. She is very popular among many teens from this movie and a majority of her fans are also musical theater fans.

The 16 songs on this album are:

  1. Talk Too Much
  2. I Hate Boston
  3. Poison Poison
  4. Gemini Moon
  5. Snow Angel
  6. So What Now
  7. The Wedding Song
  8. Pretty Girls
  9. Tummy Hurts
  10. I Wish
  11. Willow
  12. 23
  13. Messy
  14. I Do
  15. Swim
  16. Tummy Hurts (feat. Coco Jones)

My two favorite songs on this album are “Talk Too Much” and “Messy”. The most popular songs on this album are “Poison Poison” which became popular because of TikTok and “Tummy Hurts” which also became popular because of TikTok.

All of the songs on this album are very good especially because of Reneé’s vocals and how great her voice sounds. She has a very powerful voice which sounds amazing in person and on the album and these vocals are mostly shown on the song “Snow Angel”.

The reason I love the song “Talk Too Much” is because I like the beat and the lyrics a lot. She has a point in the song where she starts talking a lot and I think it is clever to do that in a song called “Talk Too Much”. This song is about how she is scared that she talks too much and she is basically overthinking this relationship. I give this song a 10/10.

I also love the song “Messy” for some of the same reasons. This song is also about overthinking and how when she isn’t with this person all she thinks about is the relationship. I give this song a 9/10.

Overall, I really like this album and I believe that the vocals are amazing. I think that there are no bad songs on the album and I think she did a great job on ‘Snow Angel’. This album is full of a lot of upbeat and poppy songs and there aren’t many slow songs. I give this album an 8/10.

Impact of virtual reality on gaming

By: Hyde Moua

Image created with Openart.ai

Virtual reality is a multi-dimensional artificial environment for video games. This has transformed our imaginative worlds of gaming into existence through artificial environments that we can interact with using virtual reality headsets.

The purpose of virtual reality being made was to create an immersive experience that can be used to explore an environment that helps to educate or entertain the user that is playing. Because of this, virtual reality has revolutionized gaming by offering a more immersive experience when playing games, allowing players to physically interact with the environment.

Virtual reality transforms traditional gaming by allowing users to engage games with an unmatchable level of realism. Virtual reality games are usually task based games, with challenges similar to real world problems and the players are tasked with finding solutions or opportunities to finish their task for a reward. Other games are based around having you save your own virtual character. Virtual reality also brings opportunities for people to interact online; people have created games online solely to interact with other people.

Virtual reality is an ever-evolving field, with revolutions in the future that may enhance the immersive experiences of players and the potential to change the players’ engagement and gaming experiences of virtual reality. Virtual reality is playable on any electronic device, like phones, tablets, console devices, and pc’s.

In my opinion, virtual reality has drastically changed how gaming is today because we can experience realistic virtual spaces that act and behave similar to the real world. I really enjoy playing VR games because it feels much more immersive than traditional gaming which I can enjoy playing alone, or with friends. Either way, virtual reality is a huge step in gaming and I am really grateful that virtual reality was created because it is an experience that you could never forget.

Bear with a moose head

By: Pwe Doh Gay

This drawing is of a bear combined with a moose head. I made the drawing because I wanted to try to draw something new.

I like how the image turned out, because I did not think the two animals would look good together. I really like how the body and head look with the brown. Also, I like how the teeth look. I think the teeth look very good with the red on the inside.

But one thing that needs to be fixed are the claws. The claws do not look good. The claws need to be the same shape and sharper. Also, I think the ears need to be fixed because they do not look like ears.

I think this is one of the best drawings I have made this year.

Minnesota Legislative session: What a mess!

By: Charlie St. Dennis

Image taken from Wikimedia Commons

The Minnesota Timberwolves won their playoff game against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, May 19th, successfully moving on to the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. While many Minnesotans celebrated at home, bars, or watch parties, a small group of Minnesotans were stuck at the State Capitol working tirelessly to pass as much legislation as they could before the end of the session, which occurred at 12am on Monday, May 20th.

For those who are unaware, Minnesotans are put into state legislative districts, which typically consist of roughly 85,000 people per senate district, and about 42,500 per house district. We elect these leaders, and the current state makeup is 70-64 with a DFL majority in the House, and 34-33 with a DFL majority in the Senate as well. Having such narrow majorities in both legislative bodies makes it incredibly difficult for legislation to pass, because it means you need *every* DFLer on board, or your legislation might die.

Unfortunately, that happens often. I’ll start reviewing this past legislative session with what I consider the *wins* for Minnesotans. Powerful bills challenging oppressive institutions, like the Minnesota African-American Family Preservation Act, introduced in the house by Rep. Esther Agbaje (DFL) gained bipartisan support from DFLers and Republicans alike, including Sen. Bobby Joe Champion (DFL) and Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten (DFL), and Rep. Walter Hudson (R) and Sen. Jim Abeler (R), who ended up sponsoring this important piece of legislation. The goal of this legislation is to promote family reunification and appropriate social services for disproportionately affected African-American families.

They were also able to work with intergovernmental relations from the Minneapolis City Council and passed worker protections legislation for Uber/Lyft drivers. They also passed HR1989, a billed lovingly nicknamed the “Taylor Swift Ticketing Bill,” which was a bill basically saying that companies like Ticketmaster and AXS must disclose ticket prices with fees included, instead of just revealing right as people pay.

While this may not sound like a lot, you’re right, it’s not. I skipped over some of the really boring stuff, but mostly this year had a pretty blank slate, at least until the last day. The DFL realized they had a lot of work left to do due to some long, unnecessary debates from the Republicans. This leftover work notably included FairVote Minnesota’s Local Options Bill, which guarantees ranked choice voting as an option in local elections across the state. In addition to this, many activists and DFLers across the state were pushing for the Equal Rights Amendment to pass, which had been pushed to the last week of session for a second year now.

The DFL wanted to accomplish all of their legislative goals before that upcoming midnight deadline, so their solution was to make multiple omnibus bills, which means to combine pieces of legislation together and speed up the process. Once combing these omnibuses, they put it into one big omnibus: not so lovingly nicknamed “Omnibus Prime” or the “Megabus.”

This was appalling to Republicans. Despite admitting last year that they don’t read the bills (they accidentally legalized cannabis), now they suddenly care about having time to read this legislation. When Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL) recognized a motion from Rep. Jamie Long (DFL) for a roll call vote, Minority Leader Lisa Demuth (R) began yelling “Madam Speaker!,” questioning her integrity as she thought she was not following the rules, along with several other Republican colleagues. This yelling went on for upwards of 30 minutes, which successfully left the legislature out of time to pass any legislation on to the Senate.

While I agree that the “Omnibus Prime” package was a lot to deliver on the final night of session, I also believe that Speaker Hortman, who has served in the House for 20 years now, is a reverent leader who knows what she’s doing. She recognized a motion, as she should, and they were going to begin a roll call vote, as they should. Because the *Republicans* didn’t understand the rules, we weren’t able to get nearly as much done this session as we could’ve. Although, despite not having the greatest record this past session, this has been the most productive biennium in 50 years.

My message for Republicans: you do not get to spin the rules just because they aren’t in your favor. You do not get to throw a hissy fit because you don’t want to progress our state. And lastly, the voters in November will look at the TV ads, campaign mailers, and lawn signs for your candidates and legislators and think of the way they acted like toddlers once given a position of power. And best believe they will vote accordingly.

‘When The Pawn…’ by Fiona Apple album review

By: Fletcher Pike

Fiona Apple’s unique album ‘When The Pawn…’ came out in 1999 and featured 10 songs total with a total length of 42 minutes. This album was released following Fiona’s hit album ‘Tidal’ which came out just a few years before in 1996. The full title of this album is actually a 90 word poem that is featured on an overlay on the album cover. In this album, Fiona Apple incorporates piano elements into most of her songs with pop-style jazz beats and features her distinct smooth alto voice.

Track 1: On The Bound

The first song on this album, “On The Bound” begins with a swing beat with a heavy piano melody accompanied with electric piano undertones. The chorus shifts into an elegant beat with added string instruments as Fiona howls echoed lyrics. I loved this song a lot and I think it was a great opening to this album. I think that this song deserves a 10/10.

Track 2: To Your Love

The following song, “To Your Love” features vibrating and scaling vocals with a classic drum beat and fast piano hits. I did like the melody but personally this song didn’t stand out as much as the other songs on this album. It was still a really enjoyable song and I would rate it a 9/10.

Track 3: Limp

“Limp” starts with a simple growing piano melody with increasing intensity that explodes into sections with loud drums and a note-descending saxophone. I really loved the drums on this song and how the intensity increased as the song continued. I thought that this song was very pleasant to listen to and I rate it a 9.5/10

Track 4: Love Ridden

“Love Ridden” is a solemn tune compacted with emotion including a mostly piano and vocal composed melody. Stringed instrument undertones add depth to the song. I found this song to be very touching, with Fiona’s emotive and powerful vocals. I really liked this song overall and I would rate it a 9.5/10.

Track 5: Paper Bag

“Paper Bag” begins with a slower scratchy drum beat with a vinyl-like effect over it, with Fiona’s scaling and staccato vocals entering shortly after. I loved how this song was put together and I found the lyrics to be very interesting, which talks about how hope can lead to disappointment. I think this song deserves a 10/10 for the melody and intriguing lyrics.

Track 6: A Mistake

“A Mistake” starts with an electric organ with scratchy brass elements. I overall thought that this song was pretty great, but it didn’t really stand out to me. I liked the melody and the electric organ that was used in the song, so I think that this song is a 9/10.

Track 7: Fast As You Can

“Fast As You Can” is the hit single from this album. The song includes a racing tempo with quick piano hits that stops at slow segments during the song that picks up as it continues. I enjoyed the faster tempo on this song, as it grabs your attention right away with the march-style drums and vibrant theme. I think that this track has to be one of my favorites on the album and I rate it a 10/10.

Track 8: The Way Things Are

The song “The Way Things Are” begins with a wavy synth instrument shifting into a roaring heavy guitar and a classic drum beat. I liked the addition of the heavy guitar since it made it stand out from the other songs on the album. I think that overall this song was pretty good to listen to, and that I rate it a 9.5/10

Track 9: Get Gone

“Get Gone” begins with a tranquil piano and an ambient brushed drum beat that transitions to a louder drum set and piano sounds with string instrument undertones. I was a big fan of Fiona’s vocals in this song and the duality between dynamics. I loved the melody of the song and the different instruments used in this track. Parts of this song reminded me of some vintage jazz songs, which I admired a lot. This is a really great song, and I think it’s a 10/10. 

Track 10: I Know

‘When The Pawn…’ ends with a slow and melancholy rhythm with an ambient piano under Fiona’s gentle vocals. I think that it was a fitting song to end this album, and I enjoyed the vocals in this song. This was a great finish to the album, and I rate it a 9.5/10.

‘When The Pawn…’ is by far one of my most favorite albums by Fiona Apple. I find that the creativity and uniqueness that she incorporates into her songs makes her stand out as an artist. These songs were full of different kinds of emotions that I found to be interesting to listen to. Overall, I think that this album is a 10/10.