Whip Smart [Original recording reissued, Import]

The best thing about this album is its flow. It works like a book, flicking through the chapters. Starting with the beautiful and very phair-like "Chopsticks", the audience is imediatly thrown into Liz's world. And just after she slips in the last lines "...'cause secretly I'm timid." The begining roar of the rocking Supernova erupts. This is a very sentimental song, without being too precious and sickly sweet. It's great. "Support system" is a jerky and classic tune with enough bite to eat of your arm. It's fantastic where she overlaps vocals. "X-ray man" jingles on after. A vivid song with a fantastic set of lyrics.

"Shane", for me, is the Highlight. Soft and delicate till it builds it's strength, the lyrical beauty rolls into your mind as if you were in the car driving with the 2 characters. "Nashville" is another highlight. An amazing and intresting ballard where her voice is at its (possibly) career best. "Go west" is very true and a great song to have in the car. "Cinco de mayo" is another rock song which purs in your ears and is generally great.

"Dog's of L.A." is a very intresting and visual song. You can imagine watching the adventures of these characters in the park through a series of moving photos. "Whip-smart" tries a little too much to be memorable, but is great anyway. "Jealousy" is one of my favourite songs. With a spikey guitar riff and rigid honest lyrics, the song makes a huge impression. "Crater lake" is another beauty and has my favourite lyrics on the album. Truthful and amazing.

"Alice springs" is a soft and beautiful song and has that Exile-in-guyville feel of being very short. The closer "May Queen" is amazing. Begining fairly normally before rocketing into a blasting chorus. A great way to end this amazing album.

Overall, I'd give this album 10 out of 10. At 45 minutes, it is just the right length to make a great impression and make you want to hear it again. Shame it was killed in all the glory of her debut, 'cause it really is great.

technically i see it as ythe older sister of guyville liz phairs first outing, it's kinda a wlittle wiser and older and some of the songs i could see on the record but they are older. i think what makes the album have that rawness is the feel of the music being recorded almost live, as if liz and a collection of musican pals sat around in soem dusty hot studio drinking jack daniels and jamming some cool southern rock,

and i love it

lyric wise i feel that unlike guyville where the focus was mainly on alot of men and trouble with relationships this album veers towards alot of liz's own feelings about men, about maybe having children,about maybe what to do in the future...
guyville i see as what happened before the record whipsmart i see as what is happening now and how all the events that happened beofre have effected her now...

in short, this album is damn good, slightly more produced than guyville but alittle more relaxed. not so much angst, i feel liz doesn't need to scream about what has happened because she did that in guyville now she can simply let you in on secrets and talk things through

nice record-recommen it if you like kirsten hersh or raw sheryl crow