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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bollywood Bosch, 7 Jun 2008
Mr Sigsworth, Mr Page and Ms Morrissette can be partially proud of
their new offering. 'Under Rug Swept' and 'So Called Chaos'
never quite did it for me, truth be told, so 'Flavors Of Entanglement'
is in many ways a return to form.
The hard(ish)core electronic sonic constructions of Sigsworth
suit the new material well.
Thematically the music tends more towards a Garden Of Earthly Delights,
more Heaven than Hell, than the axe-wielding of her youth. We should
expect of course that the approach of middle-age sometimes brings with
it greater maturity and a wider comfort zone (and how could one not
therefore be happy for her) but Ms Morissette shall always be best
remembered for me by the raging, emotional battering rams of 'Jagged Little Pill'
and 'Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie'.
Let's take a look at the new album none-the-less.
Ms Morissette's voice is in fine form and her cramped idiosyncratic
lyrical style persists unabated. ( A writer who dares to rhyme
"mental" with "happy 'til" and "interpret" with "straightjacket"
deserves our applause and affection).
Opening track 'Citizen Of The Planet' is a stormer. A real maelstrom
of crashing synth chords and Bollywood strings.
I rather like the sunny outlook of single 'Underneath' with it's
ecstatic (almost) singalong chorus (despite Mr Ball finding it somewhat more disposable).
'Straightjacket' is another corker.
It's a rather uncharacteristic stomper.
Crackling with energy and destructive good humour.
'Versions Of Violence' seems to have crept in via an unheard
Evanescence release but is none the worse for that.
'Not As We' is sadly, for me, the album's low point.
A beautiful song, beautifully sung but marred by Mr Sigsworth's
immature pianistic skills.
I enjoyed the back to back thematic contradictions of 'Moratorium'
and 'Torch', dismissal and yearning artfully articulated. Both fine songs.
Penultimate track 'Tapes' is perhaps the album's true highpoint.
A magisterially epic articulation of ambivalence.
'In Praise Of The Vulnerable Man', 'Giggling For No Reason' and final
track 'Incomplete' are all a little twee, both mucically and lyrically.
Despite the cute proposal of a female Deity (experience of which we know
Ms Morissette has already had - 'Dogma', 1999) this last song is, frankly, a real stinker.
All in all a strong album.
At times the density of the production is a little heavy-handed
but Ms Morissette's incomparable presence saves the day. (...Just).
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More Great Flavours of Alanis, 27 Jun 2008
I was born in the same year as Alanis, as such, vapid as it might seem, I feel "we've had this inexplicable connection since our youth". A few weeks into this album, and overall I love it.
"Tapes" is for me Alanis at her most resplendent: vulnerable, self-aware, defiant. Opening with lyrical self-deprecation:
"I am someone easy to leave"
you might be tempted to give her a good shake, yet the chorus crashes in with steely sound:
"All these tapes in my head swirl around
Keeping my vibe down
All these thoughts in my head aren't my own
Wreaking havoc"
OK, you know she's alright really. The song moves from the gentle diary entries of self-pity to the "snap-out-of-it" refrain. Ironically, it's precisely this constant struggle between lack of vibe and havoc that allows her to flourish musically, that enables this, the finest song on the album, to exist.
"Straightjacket" gets closest to that Jagged Little Pill raging, and proves that Alanis still has that unique talent for making anger just sound so damn good.
Other great flavours include the vibrant "Citizen of the Planet", the dark "Versions of Violence", the indulgent, longing "Torch", the decisive "Moratorium" and the pure, happy "Giggling Again for no Reason"
"Underneath"... I'm still on the fence about this one.
As usual it's the slower tracks (for me) that let the album down. "Not as We" looks great in theory, and on paper, but the reality doesn't quite work.
It's also difficult to get enthusiastic about the last track "Incomplete". Alanis just doesn't convince with this "One day I'll find relief/I'll be arrived" and part of me rather selfishly hopes she doesn't ever arrive, lest all her lyrics are relegated to this kind of low-maintenance optimism, with the music nodding and smiling encouragingly.
Equally, it's hard not to do a double take on "In Praise of the Vulnerable Man" when she croons "why won't you lead the rest of your cavalry home"????? Eh?
Still, whilst other bands from my formative years never even made the transition from my CD pile to MP3, Alanis remains one of the few artists whose albums I look forward to AND love to play. She has yet to genuinely disappoint!
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11 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jagged Little Details, 27 May 2008
Alanis is one of those artists that shows moments of brilliance and then sheer moments of unremarkable medicority. Lets get this out of the way, this is not Jagged Little Pill two, but is that what you would really want from a thirty something women?
The album kicks off with "Citizen of the Planet" my initial thoughts were "oh god an eastern inspired song which is inevitably going to be underwhelming" i apologise...after the first verse it raptures into a space age rock classic boasting a pulsating bass. Excellent opener which really gears you up for some rocking Alanis tunes. "Underneath" which i fear might be a single is a little bit bland and in my oppinion is the only track worth skipping.
As the album progresses you start to wonder what the devil has happened to Alanis, she has regained her mojo and is pumping out some sexy electro beats. The Ballad "Not as We" is beautiful and it contasts the surrounding tracks leaving the listener a bit confused but definately wanting more.
This is a brillaint hybrid of Sigsworth (AKA Frou Frou) and Alanis' excellent lyrics. If you are a fan of Frou Frou and Imogen Heap i think this will definately be your cup of tea, also Alanis fans will be completely satisfied with this effort, the best since, yes, Jagged Little Pill.
The last track "Incomplete" is wonderful and should definately be a single, it leaves you wanting more and wonder what will Alanis do next? Definately worth buying... a really solid enjoyable effort. Well done Alanis.
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