Alanis Morissette is back. Sans Glenn Ballard. And she sounds great.
Morissette proved herself on her first album and has never had to be a highly marketed puppet. Interestingly, Morissette was Britney's current age when Jagged Little Pill was released. No comparison is possible between these two commercial stars.
Soulful, vulnerable, and peppered with interesting sounds, Under Rug Swept offers the familiar Morissette qualities along with touches of experimentation sometimes reminiscent of the seventies. Don't worry, her raw sound has not disappeared. Just listen to the guitars on "21 things I want in a lover".
From the screw you! outrage of "hands clean" to the vulnerability of "so unsexy", more than one song will meet it's destiny on the radio and imprint itself onto youthful hearts. "Surrendering" also smells radio friendly without giving up any oomph. "Flinch" is one of those songs that makes me love Alanis Morissette's lyrics: "how long can a girl be haunted by you/soon I'll grow up and I won't even flinch at you're name".
A certain maturity is found in the lyrics. "You owe me nothing in return" is a far far cry from "you oughta know". "Precious illusions", her song about letting go, sounds so free. While "utopia" is infused with 60's promise, it also made me want to let my hair down and prance in the magic forest playing a lute.
Not perfect, not the album of the decade, but still a very compelling reason to keep listening.
Alanis Morissette Under Rug Swept
