6
Thursday, March 7, 2002
Morissette s Album Suffers From Self-Inflicted Overproduction
By Michael Abernethy
Senior Writer
An Alanis Morissette album is a lot
like Lenoir Dining Hall’s sushi.
Just as there’s something disturbing
about the idea of Lenoir preparing raw
fish, there’s also something off-putting
about listening to
Morissette yodel
her most intimate
secrets.
But once you
acquire the taste
for them, you start
/
Ztey/ews)
Alanis Morissette
Under Rug Swept
★ ★★☆☆
to crave their distinctive flavor.
“Under Rug Swept, ” however, finds
Morissette taming some of her charac
teristic vocal spiciness for a glossier
approach to relationship therapy.
Men and their hesitant approach to
Imbruglia Torn by Influences; Cary Finds Life After Adams
Natalie Imbruglia
White Lilies Island
In what seems to be an attempt to
overthrow her former “Torn’’ personal
ity, Natalie Imbruglia has managed to
inhabit a strange place between Lisa
Loeb and Shirley Manson.
Aussie pop princess Imbruglia, who
gained fame for her single “Tom” from
1998’s Left of the Middle, has returned to
the music scene with something differ
ent. White Lilies Island, named after
Imbruglia’s home in Windsor, is not the
poppy sophomoric product that one
might have expected as a follow-up to
the former soap opera star’s syrupy first
album.
Although opaque threads of pop still
dominate the album, White Lilies Island
certainly deserves points for being styl
istically eclectic. Imbruglia takes forays
into Coldplay-esque rock and experi
ments with more elaborate sounds
evocative of Garbage or U 2.
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commitment are still the source of most
of her rants.
But where Morissette once laid all
the blame on her ex-boyfriends, she
now admits her faults as reason for rela
tionship woes. Tracks like “So Unsexy”
and “Flinch" reveal a newfound confi
dence and understanding of her past
involvements with men.
Musically, the album is a hybrid of
the sharp song styles of “ Jagged Little
Pill? and the twisted lyrical-syntax of
“Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie .”
“21 Things I Want In A Lover” jump
starts the album with a dirty guitar riff
and a tongue-twisting list of things she’s
looking for in a man. Morissette also
revisits the kiss-off of “You Oughta
Know” in “Narcissus,” which begins
with the bizarre damnation, “Dear
mamma’s boy/I know you had your
But Imbruglia cannot quite master
her Shirley Manson impression,
attempted on tracks like “Sunlight.”
Although “Sunlight” begins with an
unexpectedly rolling sound like that of
Garbage’s Version 2.0, this rough, raw
rock is made far less effective by the
addition of Imbruglia’s impossibly
sweet-girl vocals. Additionally, her
lyrics, though grasping at Manson’s
sadomasochism, ultimately cannot quite
make an effective, pained power ballad.
Often, Imbruglia is more like Lisa Loeb
- sweetness and light. Although melan
cholic and far more produced than Loeb’s
work, Imbruglia’s “Talk in Tongues” and
“Wrong Impressions” sound, at times,
much like clips from Loeb’s Firecracker.
Imbruglia is at her best when she finds
a middle ground between these two
extremes. Her potential shines through in
the sensual and simple “Do You Love”
and an oddly contemplative “Hurricane.”
On these tracks, it seems that
Imbruglia forgets to be the soap-star-
DIVERSIONS
*-/MBir "V -
butt licked by your
mother." The line
isn’t very poetic, but
it’s quite effective at
getting her point
across and proves
that Morissette has
not lost her knack
for directness.
“Hands Clean,”
about her past rela
tionships with
pedophiliac 30-
something men,
rounds out the excellent opening trio
with a slick sing-along chorus full of
major chords and “oohs.”
But after these three amazing tracks,
the album levels off a bit, and Morissette
is left mostly restating similar sentiments
in less intriguing guises.
turned-musician tom between self-asser
tion and sugar. Instead, she becomes, for
a few rare moments, a singer.
By Michelle Jarboe
Caitlin Cary
While You Weren't Looking
While her Whiskeytown ex-band
mate Ryan Adams was charming the
critics, earning three Grammy nomina
tions, and wooing fans like Sir Elton
John, Caidin Cary was poising for a turn
of her own toward stardom.
No longer content to play second fid
dle, Cary has broken away from the
shadow of Whiskeytown and Adams
with her first solo album, While You
Weren’t Looking.
When given the spotlight, the
Raleigh-based Cary boasts a lovely and
affecting voice with only the slightest
country edge - she sounds more like
Sarah McLachlan than Lee Ann Rimes.
Cary’s voice proves most potent on
the album’s harder-rocking tracks, like
the lilting opening song “Shallow Heart,
Shallow Water” and “Thick Walls
Down,” the album’s best track.
“Thick Walls Down” is a rocking duet
with Todd Cockrell, one of many
cameos on the album by noted Triangle
musicians like Superchunk’s Jon
Wurster, Mayflies U.S.A.’s Adam Price,
and former Whiskeytown players Mike
Daly, Skillet Gilmore and Mike Santoro.
The gende ballad “Fireworks" distin
guishes itself from the album’s other
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The main disap
pointment of “ Under
Rug Swept” is
Morissette’s own
heavy-handed pro
duction. There was
always something
so charming about
hearing her screw
up that flute solo on
“That I Would Be
Good” and feeling
like the music could
fall apart at any sec-
ond during the guitar scratch of “All I
Really Want."
But here, everything is in its right
place, and it strips Morissette’s perfor
mance of its originality. Though her
lyrics remain as original as ever,
Morissette lets her unique vocals take a
tracks with its sparing but effective
touches of Cary’s trademark violin. Her
voice is both fragile and impenetrable
here, a heart-rending combination.
The depth of Cary’s voice is also dis
played in the plaintively aching closing
track “I Ain’t Found Nobody Yet.” A
wrenching take on heartbreak driven by
a sorrowful electric guitar solo, “1 Ain’t
Found Nobody Yet” is one of three
tracks co-written by Ryan Adams.
Adams also lends his pen to “Please
Don’t Hurry Your Heart” and voice to
“The Battie,” included on a limited edition
bonus disc, which recalls the former glory
of Whiskeytown in a duet with Cary.
The album’s weakest tracks suffer
from cliche-riddled lyrics like those
from “Sorry.” Cary sings, “You are a bit
ter brother in the shadow of a twin/
Strangled in her warm embrace/You
have grown up savage, mean and thin.”
But even the lesser tracks feature a
mature musicality and elegant savvy
that make this freshman effort indicative
of great things to come.
It seems true talent bloomed while
we weren’t looking in Caidin Cary’s
direction.
By Jill Spivey
Josh Clayton-Felt
Spirit Touches Ground
★ ★★☆☆
Josh Clayton-Felt died from cancer
before could see the completion of his
second solo album.
To keep Clayton-Felt’s memory alive,
back seat to her band’s performance in
an uncharacteristic, lilith-esque manner.
“That Particular Time” sounds like
Sarah McLachlan ala “ Surfacing ;” which
wouldn’t be disappointing if Morissette
were famous for her lilting ballads. It’s
a beautiful song - it’s just not suited to
her strengths.
And the radio-ready slickness of
tracks like “So Unsexy” and
“Surrendering” are at first catchy and
engaging, but their over-produced drum
loops and keyboard effects suffocate the
songs.
This album marks Morissette’s first
time at bat without producer Glen
Ballard, so she can be forgiven for erring
on the side of safety. But one can’t help
but miss the ragged vocals and frenzied
atmosphere that characterized her first
two albums.
Dream Works Records has released the
former School of Fish singer’s sopho
more album, Spirit Touches Ground.
The album consists of songs Clayton-
Felt originally recorded at A&M
Records. After being dropped from that
label in 1998 and going through lots of
industry red tape, the singer/guitarist re
recorded his songs with Dream Works.
The album is a mix of blues, funk, clas
sic rock and splashes of music from across
the world. Keyboards mimic sounds of
India as “Night of a Thousand Girls”
seductively dances around the listener.
Clayton-Felt’s ear for musical
arrangement is showcased on the track
“Backwards World.” His guitar strum is
gently overtaken by the majestic waves
of a trombone as the youthful ode to
self-discovery becomes reminiscent of
marching band competitions and half
time shows.
Sadly, listeners might wish Spirit
Touches Ground was strictly instrumental.
From the beginning of “Diamond in
Your Heart,” Clayton-Felt annoyingly
reverberates each line. Singing,
“Sometimes my heart’s so hungry I
don’t trust my mind,” listeners are
dragged back to the 80s and painful
memories of “The Breakfast Club.”
A fusion of blues and alternative
rock, “Invisible Tree” slinks from line to
line, running smack into a whimsical
chorus, “Invisible tree/invisible tree
you’re not invisible to me.” Off-beat,
the song makes for an overall funky
track that advocates seizing the day.
Yet Clayton-Felt fans might have dif
ficulty finding the silver lining in other
songs like “Deer in the Headlights” and
“Dragon Fly” that aren’t openly opti
mistic like “Invisible Tree.” Pensive and
a bit somber, these songs and seem to
foreshadow the singer’s death.
But without a doubt, Spirit Touches
Ground is meant to be celebratory, not
mournful. Funky and full of life, the
album leaves fans a musical portrait of
Josh Clayton-Felt that’s full of love and
hope.
By Jenise Hudson
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Still, the subtle groove and rapturous
piano of “You Owe Me Nothing" and
the breezy guitar blast of “Precious
Illusions” are definite exceptions to the
jinx of overproduction. But they are
effective only because the songs them
selves are strong enough to hold up the
layers of keyboard sheen placed on top
of them.
As it stands, “Under Rug Swept”is not
Morissette’s best album - that title still
stands with the much-maligned but
superior “Supposed Former Infatuation
Junkie .”
But at its worst, it’s a very respectable
holding pattern for an artist committed
to exploring herself and the world
around her.
The Arts & Entertainment Editor can
be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.
dive
recommends
j^^aroline^Tdse^
■ Elton John, Captain Fantastic
and the Brown Dirt Cowboy This is
pop music at its most versatile and
inventive. The hit track “Someone
Saved my Life Tonight” does stand
out, but the album’s classic quality
comes from its exemplary cohesion
and quirky lyrics.
■ Led Zeppelin, Houses of the
Holy A mystical, sexual, captivating
album featuring some of the most
bad-ass guitar playing ever. With
lyrics that ponder and vocals that
linger with you, these eight well-craft
ed songs will invade your soul.
■ Cat Stevens, Teaser and the
Firecat With precise acoustic guitar
work and soulful lyrics, Stevens’
album is full of beautiful songs that
journey from the simplicity of “The
Wind” to the emphatic emotion and
strong rhythm of “Peace Train.”
■ Various Artists, Music from
“Vanilla Sky,” Few soundtracks
require no track-skipping, but this
one is entirely solid. Tracks from
names like McCartney and Dylan
are only the beginning of this intro
spective collection of songs. Props to
Cameron Crowe for pulling some
great artists out of the underground.
■ Dave Eggers, “A
Heartbreaking Work of
Staggering Genius,” Believe it or
not, this book lives up to its title pret
ty accurately. Eggers wittily and hilar
iously tells the inspiring story of rais
ing his younger brother after their
parents’ deaths, as well as sharing
some of his own college experiences.
Caroline Lindsey can be reached
at clind@email.unc.edu.