Alanis Morissette

One thing’s for sure”¦ heartbreak brings out the best in musicians”¦ and in Alanis Morisette’s case breaking up with ex sitcom stars seems to do the trick even better. 1995 saw her break onto the music scene with ”˜Jagged Little Pill’, a nasty li’l piece of work which told the tale of her bitter break up with a former lover rumoured to be ex ”˜Full House’ star Dave Couiler. After that Alanis unfortunately settled into what seemed like happiness and contentment in life”¦ which made for some pretty average records. Fast forward to 2008, and we hear the unfortunate tale of Alanis’s break up with ”˜Two Guys and a Girl’ star Ryan Reynolds, and the world suddenly feels right once again! The album Flavors of Entanglement however shows a more mature broken-hearted lover, and instead of snarling through lyrics like “Are you thinking of me when you fuck her?”(On ”˜You Oughta Know’) she takes the more mature path with lines like “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” (on ”˜Moratorium’).

Another difference that we realise on this album is a new age sound and the use of more electro beats than we would have expected.  The albums first single ”˜Underneath’ is a pleasant slightly overproduced radio-friendly single, nestled comfortably between the raging opener ”“”˜Citizen Of The Planet’ and bitter accusations like “I swear you won’t be happy till/ I’m bound in a straightjacket” on ”˜Straightjacket.’

The highlights of the album are however when she strips it all down for the tearful piano ballad ”˜Not as We’ and the gentle, poignant ”˜Torch’ in which she sings “I miss your approach to life/And your body in my bed”. Ah poor Alanis”¦ we see a broken woman”¦ but we hear an awesome record.