Straight Edge Life

Have I reviewed Liz Phair’s new self-title album, Liz Phair yet? No? Because I’ve been listening to it non-stop for the past three weeks and I should review it. Non-stop I tell ya. When the album first came out it got a lot of flack from critics for being a little on the pop side of indy. And because of that, I waited months to buy it. I dig pop but I don’t really dig indy folks swinging in that direction. Feels like corruption. But now that I have this awesome album I don’t know what these critics were thinking. I know you can’t get a fully unbiased review from a fan, as I am, and reviewing music is pretty subjective as it is… but this album is sweet.

Ask me about this album and I’ll tell you that it takes the best elements of most of her other albums and maintains that level of artistry through every song on the album. The music is definitely a bit more upbeat than her normal stuff. Her choruses (is that how you spell it?) are catchy. But when comparing this album to typical pop, that’s where the resemlences end. I might go so far as to say the music and arrangements have matured a bit. Every song has the same raw honesty that made me fall in love, and kept me in love, with Liz Phair’s music years ago.

In a nutshell, this album is about sex. Not in the same way that Ani Difranco is about sex, that raw turn-me-on sexual energy that makes everyone in the audience of her shows a guaranteed winner in the “I’m getting laid tonight” lottery. It’s not that kind of thing. It’s an honest and exciting look at Phair’s love life. It’s sexy in a different way. An open honest conversation about sex through the eyes of someone who knows it humanly. Not the glamour of it, not the lust of it, it’s different. And it’s awesome. I don’t really know how to describe it. Maybe you will see what I mean when you get it. I’m actually at a loss for words trying to talk about this.

Ok, wait, take the song “Why Can’t I?”. I guarantee you’ve heard it. The chorus is “Why can’t I breath whenever I think about you? Why can’t I speak whenever I talk about you?” Sounds romantic, kinda sweet. Etc. Well the song is about cheating on her boyfriend with a guy who is cheating on her girlfriend. Just listen to the lyrics, there’s a lot more than first meets the eye. Ok. Enough. Get this album. It’s very good. 9 out of 10, only because I am not totally absolutely in love with every song.