Flavors of Collaboration

I've been streaming Alanis Morissette's seventh album, Flavors of Entanglement, nonstop on my iPod. She heroically captures the true essence of a breakup--the pain, the soul-searching, the questioning, the introversion, the letting go--with such grace and, dare I use the loaded term, "authenticity." While her songwriting is stronger than her last efforts Under Rug Swept and So-Called Chaos, the production is what makes the CD on par, if not better, than Jagged Little Pill.

Lyrically, it's a breakup album about breakups...typical Morissette territory. But there is also a none-too subtle subtext about universal law and her relationship with God, which is fine by me. While many haters complain of her whiny vocal timbre (which I actually enjoy), this depth to the lyrics makes the album less diary entry-esque and gives it that wide-appeal that everyone that has been through a breakup can appreciate and identify with. Of course, not everyone's been dumped for Scarlet Johansson, but the result appeals to non-Hollywood types as well. I think Flavors of Entanglement showcases some of the most well-crafted songs she's written, but her collaboration with producer Guy Sigsworth is truly why I cannot stop pumping this into my ears. He's worked with Madonna, Björk, Imogen Heap (one half of Frou Frou), among others, and his subtle and eclectic use of electronica and acoustic elements highlight structurally strong songs (even the ones that veer off into obtuse diatribes). The eclecticism is really what excites me--a fusion of Icelandic soundscapes mixed with tabla on "Citizen of the Planet," to radio-friendly pop in "Underneath" (the first released single, which is one of the lease musically exciting offerings on the album although it is catchy and I enjoy the lyrics), to hardcore anger therapy with Evanescence-esque bass reverb in "Straightjacket" and "Versions of Violence." Sigsworth manages to mesh together these styles, layered vocals, and subtle electronic pulsing in the über-catchy "Giggling Again For No Reason." Sparser textures on "Not as We" and "Orchid" also help the overall balance from becoming too inundated with electronic layers. Some of the tracks are available here for listening. Many of you are aware of my penchant for music videos and with few good videos being made since the demise of MTV, I appreciated Sanji's video for the mediocre "Underneath." It's kind of cheesy, but I like his fusion of the outside/inside worlds. He also directed the video for Tori Amos's "A Sorta Fairytale" starring Adrien Brody and I've been a fan of his work since.

I'm glad I had to wait four years for this--it helps me to appreciate it more. It's probably the most honest group of songs I've listened to in a while. And while honesty can be trimmed and edited to be sleeker, shinier, and have more mass appeal, I appreciate that she kept many her over-the-top grammaticisms, odd word choices, and occasional rants.






On a side note of excellent collaboration, Coldplay's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends with the lovely rendering of Eugene Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People on the cover, is worth checking out. For everyone that writes off Coldplay as a U2-ripoff, Brian Eno collaborates with the band on Viva la Vida, but the effect is something different than his previous work with Coldplay on X&Y, which was so dirge-ridden it should have come with a bottle of Prozac. While Viva la Vida slags into a formulaic slump in the middle of the album, what frames it is everything X&Y was not. It's downright inspirational. "Lost!" is the catchiest thing I've heard in a while and I don't want to get it out of my head. It's beautiful. According to my friends at Wikipedia, this has been the most downloaded album in history. You can listen to "Violet Hill" here if you are one of the few has yet to download this album. Viva la vida!