Alanis Morissette — So-Called Chaos

So-Called Chaos

Maverick/Warner

Elizabeth Chorney-Booth (CHARTattack)

05/18/2004 11:15am

Alanis’ fourth "grown-up" album sees the singer/professional diarist in a happier mood than her last burst of self-expression, 2002’s Under Rug Swept. With each album, Alanis gets a little less angry and while that means she’ll likely never recapture the fire of Jagged Little Pill, her music is also becoming more consistent (and palatable) as she matures, especially rocker "Eight Easy Steps."

So-Called Chaos is Morissette’s most enjoyable album in years, with her self-confessional lyrics taking a lighter and wiser tone. She still uses way too many four-syllable words and delves too deeply into self-indulgent self-analysis (there’s always a lot of "self" going on when Alanis is involved), but the songs — a mix of folksy pop numbers and a few welcome full-out rockers — are strong and she’s substantially more chilled out. So-Called Chaos isn’t going to quell the criticisms of those who already find Morissette's style irritating, but it will give fans plenty to chew on.

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