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Review by Jack Foley |
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ALANIS Morissette is one of those artists that people either love or hate; there is no middle ground. Either people are of the view that she is one of the talented singer/songwriters of her current generation, while others view her as an over-rated (and whining) supposed former infatuation junkie with very little talent. I have to confess, at this point, I belong in the former category.
The Canadian-born artist may not be one of the most prolific people in the
record industry; her first studio album, Jagged
Little Pill, was released as far back as 1995, while Under Rug Swept -
her latest - is only her third (Supposed
Former Infatuation Junkie followed in between, in 1998); but you can almost
guarantee that the wait will be worth it.
Under Rug Swept is hardly a departure for Morissette, rather it is a collection
of the same type of music which helped shape her into the megastar that she
is today - and it is a tribute to her that, after a four year break, she can
still command the same sort of respect within the music industry as she did
when she first burst on to the scene.
The themes which made Jagged Little Pill such a take-notice LP remain present throughout Under Rug Swept, with Flinch, in particular, revealing an insight into the singer's wounded psychology - lines such as 'what's it been over a decade? it still smarts like it was four minutes ago' and 'how long can a girl be shackled to you, how long before my dignity is reclaimed' paradoxically set against a fairly mellow, even upbeat, acoustic rift.
Even her current single, Hands Clean, contains cheap shots at the past, with Morissette announcing that this could be messy before launching into a verbal tirade with lines such as 'if it weren't for me you would never have amounted to very much'. The same, I guess, could be said for her; were it not for her anger, would she be such a terrific songwriter?
It's a mute point for her fans, however, who look set to welcome Morissette
back with open arms. The album is undeniably catchy from the very first moment
you hear it; with its appealing mix of electric and acoustic guitars and funky
hip-hop beats.
The opening track, 21 Things I Want in a Lover is particularly effective,
with its list of likes and dislikes, brash guitars and hip-hop mixing, while
So Unsexy could probably be a future single, despite coming across as a self-obessed
vanity project ('I can feel so unsexy for someone so beautiful', for example).
Still, if she's having fun, it makes her that bit more accessible than the
Alanis of Jagged Little Pill.
Even during the quieter moments, such as That Particular Time, the album is a riveting, even haunting, listen, stretching that famous voice to its most vulnerable, heartfelt limit.
For the most part, however, Morissette seems to be having fun and enjoying her role as producer, while credit must go to Chris Fogel, who mixed all but one of the 11 tracks - they all sound as though they have carefully been put together; there are no fillers here.
Under Rug Swept won't win Morissette any new fans, but it should more than
satisfy existing ones. Expect it to be huge.
Track listing:
1. 21 things I want in a Lover
2. Narcissus
3. Hands clean
4. Flinch
5. So unsexy
6. Precious illusions
7. That particular time
8. Man
9. You owe me nothing
10. Surrendering
11. Utopia