Remember when Alanis Morissette first burst on the scene in 1995 with “You Oughta Know,” the ultimate break-up song? The anger-charged song flooded radio stations (with a bleeped-out f-word) and turned Morissette into a household name. The lyrics on her first album, “Jagged Little Pill,” expressed her intimate thoughts and struggles to achieve a fresh, alternative rock sound that was both enraged and beautiful.
The music on her newly released fourth album, “So-Called Chaos,” is just as gorgeous and furious as that of her early days, but the subject matter shows that Morissette has done some soul-searching and maturing.
A perfect example is on the first track, “Eight Easy Steps,” in which she declares her expertise in things she has learned over the years — including “staying paralyzed by fear of abandonment” to “pretending you’re fine and don’t need help from anyone.” A wailing electric guitar builds the energy typical of Morissette’s songs: Her vocals are passionate and never tainted by screaming or grunting.
I played “Doth I Protest Too Much” over and over again. Perhaps it was the big sound, provided by guitars, keyboards, piano, bass and drums; maybe it was the catchy tune reminiscent of her older tune “Head Over Feet,” also from “Jagged Little Pill;” or it could have been the empowering lyrics.
In this song, Morissette describes how she is not in the least bit bothered by her lover, who develops a wandering eye, can’t seem to make time for her and eventually finds a new woman.
It’s evident that Morissette has been reflecting on the bigger picture of life lately on the title track, “So-Called Chaos.” The song lists all the stresses of our fast-paced work world, sharing the perspective that even if we don’t make every meeting and deadline, life will go on. Morissette claims her desire for freedom: “I want to be naked running though the streets / I want to invite this so-called chaos that you think I dare not be / I want to be weightless flying through the air / I want to drop all these limitations but the shoes on my feet.”
Morissette also proves to have grown capable of having more stable romantic relationships. First, in the creative “Knees of My Bees,” she confesses, “You make the knees of my bees weak / tremble and buckle.” Aside from an unusual spin on words, the song includes exotic sitar notes. Second, the last track, “Everything,” is an appreciation of a lover who stays with her despite all her flaws. The tune is nice, but could gain more strength if it sped up a bit.
“So-Called Chaos” is a reminder of Morissette’s talent and power and totes a grown-up flavor. She even looks more put-together and polished on the cover photo than she did on some of her past albums. And, without a doubt, the songs are bound to become new Alanis-fan favorites.