MORISSETTE. Has finally experienced blissful domesticity.
ALANIS MORISSETTE’S groundbreaking 1995 recording, “Jagged Little Pill,” paved the way for pop-rock’s angry songstresses to air their gender-related grievances, and in record-setting fashion. Eight successful albums later, it would simply be unhealthy (and ungrateful) for her to remain angry—especially after selling more than 60 million units worldwide!
The 38-year-old singer has good reason to calm down and be happy: She’s now the mother of 1-year-old Ever, her son with rapper MC Souleye—and the music in her latest album, “Havoc and Bright Lights,” reflects this blissful domesticity (“Win and Win,” “Spiral”).
In “Guardian,” she transposes cynicism with a pep song that is as rousing as it is catchy: “I’ll be your keeper for life as your guardian/ I’ll be your warrior of care, your first warden/ I’ll be your angel on call, I’ll be on demand.”
Cyclical nature
In “Woman Down,” she discusses the seeds of domestic violence and its cyclical nature by confronting the issue in a cerebral rather than confrontational manner: “First woman down was your mother/ All you could see was your father/ His disrespect was on her face/ Next woman down was your sister/ Her silence did corroborate/ She took her cues from the climate/ And never knew another way.”
Yes, her dark side still comes out from time to time, as she discloses in “Havoc” (“I am beaten by my impulsiveness/ By this uncanny foreshadowing of regret/ ‘Cause I’m repulsed by restriction”).”
But, she sparkles best when she embraces her softer and lighter side. The conciliatory “‘Til You” recalls the provocative ballads of Madonna.
Morissette unravels even more in “Empathy”: “There are so many parts that I have hidden and lost…/ There are so many colors that I still try to hide while I paint/ And there are so many tunes that I secretly sing as I wait/ You come along and invite these parts out of hiding/ This invitation is one that I’ve stopped fighting/ Thank you for seeing me/ I feel so less lonely.”
Newton Faulkner
Newton Faulkner’s music is a finger-snapping fusion of folk, rock and pop. The dreadlocked British singer’s third album, “Write It On Your Skin,” deftly captures his upbeat sound and idiosyncratic musicality.
Top picks: The drums-and-strings-backed “Pulling Teeth”; the snappy Beatlesque ditty, “Brick by Brick”; the irresistible “Soon”; the Jason Mraz-like “Write It On Your Skin,” and the lusciously serendipitous “Against The Grain” will keep you asking for more!