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29 of 31 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 breathe 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 for this generation. 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 this deluxe edition, which comes with 5 leftover compositions from the album's sessions. 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 bonus cuts. The above average fan will certainly find them worthwhile.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This pill is not so jagged, June 14, 2008
Along with everyone else I was a big fan of Alanis's major label debut album, "Jagged Little Pill" back when it was released. However because a co-worker felt the need to play the album non-stop for about three months the album became annoying. I don't think I've listened to it since and haven't paid attention to any of Alanis's follow-up albums. Then last week I heard her perform one of her new songs on Howard Stern's radio show and decided to give the new album a shot. This is a great album from start to finish. She has grown a lot since "Pill" and the combination of her lyrics and Guy Sigsworth's production are a match made in heaven. There isn't a weak track on the disc but the piano ballad "Not As We" is a stand out track for me. "Straitjacket", "Underneath", "Moratorium" they're all great. The album is loaded with hooks and much like "Jagged Little Pill" this is a disc you will play over and over.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Brilliant, June 12, 2008
When I first heard that Alanis was teaming up with Guy Sigsworth (of Bjork and Frou Frou notoriety), I had some misgivings. The style Sigsworth always brings to the table didn't seem to me like it would mesh with Alanis's lyrical and melodic sensibilities. Fortunately for me and the rest of Alanis's fan base (whether hysterical or casual), these two creative minds work extremely well together.
Listening through the album for the first time, I was caught off-guard by many of the sounds and melodic choices. It was entertaining and delightful, but some songs seemed a bit awkward and misplaced. After the album's close, though, those "misplaced" songs had managed to slip their way into my unconscious and before I'd even had the chance to play the album a second time, I was already humming their choruses.
If you're used to the way Alanis has approached songwriting in the past, "Flavors of Entanglement" may put you off, but once you allow yourself to accept that people grow and styles change, give it a fresh listen, and you'll be overwhelmed with the brilliant musicality and lyrical stylings throughought.
A quick rundown of the best tracks on the album:
"Citizen of the Planet" starts out familiarly (go back and listen to "So-Called Chaos" from the album of the same name), but the song takes a strikingly different direction and accomplishes something its predecessor didn't: strong, emotive vocals coupled with a powerful accompaniment that doesn't leave you hungering for something more substantial.
"Versions of Violence" is ideal for those who like their music with more of an edge. An unexpectedly brilliant foray into "rougher" territory.
"Tapes" catches you off-guard. A ballad that jumps from evoking the anguish of unhappiness to that feeling you get when you border on angry (at yourself) from all the non-stop negative thinking that most of us fall prey. A beautiful expression.
"Incomplete" is incredible. One of those feel-good Alanis songs that everyone seems to forget about in favor of dwelling on her anger. The hopeful lyrics are echoed PERFECTLY in Guy Sigsworth's production of the song. This is one of those songs I was unsure of my first time around. I wake up at night and can hear it playing in my head.
The second disc of the deluxe edition contains five gems. If you have followed Alanis's career, you know that her B-sides are never "filler." These songs are all great. "Limbo No More" is the best of the five. "On the Tequila" is probably the silliest song I've heard in a long time. Please note that when I say it's silly, I don't mean it's silly in a way that's off-putting. It's the kind of silly that makes you put it on repeat while driving down the highway with friends. Just complete and utter fun. No deep meaning or emotional expression; a total mood lifter.
To summarize, this album is not just for new or old fans of Alanis. It's for anyone who enjoys a great musical experience. Sweeping melodies and heartfelt, honest lyrics from someone who's not afraid to say, "Okay, on that day, I was happy, but then over here I was totally crappy." (Those are not actual lyrics, by the way.) No way I would give this album fewer than five stars.
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by Alanis Morissette 
