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60 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
'Flavors' That Satisfy, June 10, 2008
The best thing about Alanis Morissette is that she wears her heart on her sleeve through her music, and new album "Flavors of Entanglement" is no exception. She realizes there is strength in vulnerability, and with that knowledge shares her growth as an individual as well as a musician.
The pearls of wisdom beyond her years typical of Morissette abound in this new collection, but thanks in large part to producer Guy Sigsworth these songs have more edge and grit than anything she's released since the '90s. These songs sway, caress, mesmerize and most definitely rock. Those seeking a return of the so-called "angry" Alanis from 1995's "Jagged Little Pill" will probably never come any closer to it than this new record, but this time around she is older and wiser, and the songs are stronger for it.
Morissette is able to be thoroughly autobiographical yet remain accessible. She will easily resonate here with those struggling to cope with death, whatever kind of death that may be. She has mentioned repeatedly in interviews hitting "rock bottom" upon demise of her engagement to actor Ryan Reynolds and how that informed "Flavors..." The album certainly reflects death - in this case, death of a relationship. Never hiding her bruises, she nevertheless moves forward toward the light at the end of the tunnel.
Rockers like the righteous "Citizen of the Planet" (My frontier is on an airplane/My prisons: homes for rehabilitating) and "Versions of Violence" rub shoulders easily with sunny melodies like "In Praise of the Vulnerable" and melancholy ballads like "Not As We," but despite the variety there are no particular standouts amid the album's slim 11 tracks, and that is a benefit here; "Flavors..." is thoroughly an album in the classic `70s sense. These songs, while certainly able to stand alone, unravel in succession, letting Morissette narrate a story. Because of this, a selection like lead single "Underneath" with its radio-friendly production and insightful lyrics ("Spotlight on these seeds of simpler reasons/This core, born into form, starts in my living room") sits comfortably aside the angry, swirling "Straitjacket" ("One day I'll introduce myself and you'll see you've not met me.")
This album may have been a long time in coming, but lyrics like these from the urgent, chest-pumping "Moratorium," which snap and jerk amid Sigsworth's spellbinding production, prove it was worth the wait:
"I declare a moratorium on things relationship/I declare a respite from the toils of liaison/I do need a breather from the flavors of entanglement/I declare a full time-out from all things commitment."
The loss she chronicles reaches its apex on the downcast, revelatory "Torch" ("I never thought I'd have to lay down my torch for you") but simmers down on "Giggling Again For No Reason," where she clears her head with a spontaneous drive out of LA to take in the California sunset and feel the ocean against her skin. "I can feel the bones are smiling in my body," she sings. "I can see the meltings of inhibition." Sigsworth's sparkling production and the rapturous melody fit the song like a glove, making it an ideal summer tune.
Though she's giggling again, she can't turn off the "Tapes" in her head that fill her with inaccurate, unfair self-appraisals ("`I am someone easy to leave/Even easier to forget'/A voice, if inaccurate") that continue to foster her insecurities. Nevertheless, on the disc's hearty conclusion, the bittersweet, rousing "Incomplete," she proudly owns her flaws and the humanity they underscore with a new outlook on life:
"I have been running so sweaty my whole life urgent for a finish line/I have been missing the rapture this whole time of being forever incomplete."
Morissette continually proves herself to be the underappreciated poet laureate of this generation's contemporary singer/songwriters. She has a sharp insight into the human condition that is uniquely hers. By inviting listeners along on her journey of self-discovery she helps them gain insight into themselves as well, all the while entertaining. She is certainly a force to reckon with.
The few extra dollars are worth investing for the deluxe edition, which comes with 5 leftover compositions from the album's sessions in addition to 6 eye-catching photograph/lyric cards. The bitter, self-critical "The Guy Who Leaves" sizzles with tingly electronic beats and swirls amid Morissette's urgents vocals, while "Orchid" and "Madness" are both understated, poignant, positively beautiful ballads. Bittersweet coming-of-age tale "Limbo No More" has a profoundly moving orchestral arrangement, while the joyous, folksy "On the Tequila" is set to turn more than a few heads. It is not for lack of quality but simply because they do not fit the scheme of the album that these songs are not included on this standard version. Nevertheless, the above average fan will certainly find them worthwhile.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic., June 19, 2008
"Jagged Little Pill" is one of the most memorable CD's of all-time for me, and like many others, I have vivid memories of the summer of 1995 that are associated with the many brilliant songs and moods of that album.
While I enjoyed many of her songs since then, I was worried when she released the acoustic set of JLP a couple years back that she was going to fall back on the laurels of past success and never come back with something on the same level (creatively/musically) of that work.
Flavors of Entanglement put to rest those worries - this is just a fantastic, fantastic CD. Starting with the blistering beat of Citizen of The Planet and ending with the hopeful and forward-looking catchiness of Incomplete, the albums is indeed composed of many flavors and sounds, but reigning supreme on every track is Alanis' unique ability to create interesting lyrics and pronunciations and wrap them around great melodies. It is refreshing to see that perspective and wisdom have contributed to the evolution of both her approach to songwriting and performing, but her voice is still as simultaneously beautiful and haunting as ever.
You will not regret purchasing this CD at all, especially if you've been a fan of Alanis not only as an artist but as a poet and a person.
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19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A return to form...and then some, June 12, 2008
My biggest worry, when I learned that Guy Sigsworth would be producing the album, was whether Alanis would, indeed, still "rock." With Guy Sigsworth, a man known for his work with Björk, Frou Frou and the occasional Madonna/Britney Spears song, I was afraid we'd have an album of electronica that lost what made Alanis...well, Alanis. I'm glad that I was wrong.
Flavors of Entanglement opens with a familiar Alanis song, "Citizen of the Planet," that espouses the virtues of identifying not with the country you live but to embrace the world as a whole, blooms into a bass-heavy chorus that rocks like anything she's written. But it's the tiny little flourishes and the electronic additions that makes it feel fresh.
Things continue on this pace, moving into "Straitjacket," a song that's probably my favorite for not only its lyrics but for its swirling electronics. It seems ironic that the songs I like best are the ones that utilize Alanis' innate rock sensibilities, but spins them through a techno/electronic sheen. But it's the truth. Then we have "Versions of Violence," which further spirals and teases but also interweaves careful lyrics about violence, both hidden and seen.
Things slow down for the beautiful (and heart-breaking) "Not as We." Here is where you can recognize Alanis' sometimes awkward lyrics that, for whatever reason, work in the context of the song: "From scratch begin again / but this time I as I / And not as we" sounds awkward when written, but in the context of the song works beautifully.
These are probably some of my favorite songs on the album, but I have to say there's not one on here that I don't like. Truthfully, all the songs seem familiar and typical Alanis lyrics/themes. In "Not as We," I feel hints of "Simple Together." From "Incomplete," I feel the longing wish that one day everything will be okay, a la "That I Would Be Good." With "In Praise of the Vulnerable Man," there's "Head Over Feet"'s praise of a man who treats people right. She writes these songs because she's good at them; she's masterful at taking her own life's experiences (as in "Not as We," for example) and, while making it a fiercely personal song, making them universal.
The difference, though, between this CD and a lot of her post-Jagged Little Pill CDs, is that Flavors of Entanglement feels honed to a perfect shine. While going over sometimes familiar territory, this album is full of masterpieces. Instead of taking away, Guy Sigsworth's production only adds to everything I've enjoyed about Alanis, taking her in different directions. One song even sounds like it could be on a Dido album ("Giggling Again for No Reason"). In a career that's seen a few ups and a few downs, Flavors of Entanglement probably wouldn't win over any of her staunch critics, but it did renew my interest and reminded me why I loved her music. Definitely a must buy.
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by Alanis Morissette 
