Last Album of the Week
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...will have to go to Liz Phair's "WhiteChocolateSpaceEgg". No one writes songs or produces/records them like Liz. Every song reaches its potential, and some songs, like "Polyester Bride" and "Big Tall Man", surpass her own potential and move on to topping OTHER artists' potential. Liz has every harmony in place, nothing in her songs are extraneous in the least. It's songcraft at its best, and the fact that with repeated listening it gets BETTER is a testament to a true artist. EVERYONE should own this album; what's the last album you owned that the first 6 songs were perfect and you didn't want to skip even one? Still, to new listeners of Liz, I reccommend starting with her second album - it's her most accessible (thereby her worst) - but you'll get a sense of her, and then you should buy the first album (her best) and then this one, which comes close sometimes. Still, if you trust me and just go out and buy WhiteChocolateSpaceEgg, you won't be dissappointed. Just listen to songs #12 and 13... Warning: Liz is for adults only. Not just in vocabulary, but ideas... I'm disappointed in the Sheryl Crow, but not dissatisfied. I think "Riverwide" is manipulative, but beautiful. My problem with the album as a whole is that it's a mood piece and I'm just not usually in that mood. Were I, though, I'd probably love it. Elliott Smith has sold out. There, I can say it, because I was listening to E.S. way back when he was in Heatmiser. I love his songcraft, but I think XO is cold, detached. Count how many times he uses the lyric "I know" or "She knows" or "Everybody knows". It's sort of rushed, a big-band washout. Still quite catchy, and I DO listen to it, I'm just not blown away like I was with Either/Or. Hole is completely fun to listen to, sort of a revisitation by the Bangles. But the more you listen, the more you realize it won't have much longevity on your CD player. It gets old, and fast. Courtney, reinvent yourself - BACK. Belle and Sebastian is music for the morning. His voice tires me, but great lyrics. Spinanes is on my constant play right now, especially song #2 (Greetings from the Sugar Lick) with the immortal lyric: "Pull your clothes off / Let's get this over with". See below for a further example of a Spinanes lyric. I am sitting on my hands awaiting REM's new album, "Up", because I am already madly in love with the first single, Daysleeper. REVISIT: I first told you about Jen Trynin last year. Now I'm STILL listening to her. Why aren't you? "GunShy Trigger Happy". Loud, melodic, heartbreaking. An example of a perfect pop song lyric comes courtesy of The
Spinanes' "Slide Yer Ass": Time to go... buy some music, people! And NOT just the City of Angels soundtrack, okay?
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