I’m always afraid when I say things like I am
going to say because I fear people are going to read my thoughts and ideas as being
wishy-washy mainstream-hopes of musical standardization. That’s not only what I
am not thinking – it’s also not what I am hoping for either.
But Alanis Morissette's new single ‘Guardian’
is one of the most approachable, digestible pieces of music from her in a long time –
maybe even since Jagged Little Pill – and that’s a good thing.* The ethereal start
to the song is something you might expect from the Ottawa born singer and songwriter
(again, that’s not a bad thing) but the song breaks open for a moment before
the singer with the stronger-than-ever voice breaks into an almost angelic,
controlled opening verse because exploding into a guitar laden chorus.
One of the things that I have liked about
Alanis’ song writing of the past has been her ability to squeeze what she
wanted to say into a verse without worrying if it fit perfectly with the
cadence of the music. Some people found this to be sloppy and gimmicky. But it
always worked for me (though the technique did have a tendency to feel tired
and over-used at times.) This time, Alanis has penned and performed nothing but
a strong pop-rock offering (again not a bad thing) that I think will not only
make her fans happy and thankful for her return but will also draw a new
audience that, to be honest, wasn’t really sure what the hell she was trying to
do once upon a time.
Now Alanis is moving straight ahead with her life,
with her family, with her son, and with her music.** And there’s nothing wrong with that
at all!***
*I know it’s never a good thing to say ‘and
that’s a good thing’ because it makes it sound like it’s not – but really it is.
I guess it is just one of those backhanded compliments that doesn’t sound like
a compliment but really it is – really!
** "Guardian is the first single off Alania Morissette's upcoming album Havoc and Bright Lights, availablefor pre-order on iTunes on July 31.
***Really!
***Really!
