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Liz Phair
Somebody's Miracle
(Capitol)
First Appeared in The Music Box, December 2005, Volume 12, #12
Written by T.J. Simon
Liz Phair is no longer the indie-rock bohemian that she was when she released
the critically-lauded (and overrated) Exile in Guyville in 1993, nor is
she seeking to sound like an Avril Lavigne knock-off á la her self-titled release from two years
ago. On Somebody’s Miracle, Phair makes smart pop-rock from the
perspective of a 38-year-old, single mother, and as a result, her music rings
with the maturity of artists such as Aimee Mann. In fact, the first six tracks
on Phair’s new effort are quite possibly the best music that she’s made thus far
in her career. These catchy tunes, which include the solid Leap of Innocence
and the sassy Got My Own Thing, are hook-filled and memorable pleasures.
Phair’s distinctive vocals sound terrific, and her lyrics are generally clever
and insightful, particularly on Stars and Planets as well as the title
track, which finds her staring in amazement at couples who are able to sustain
their love for one another over the long haul.
Unfortunately, things get problematic during the second half of Somebody’s
Miracle. Everything to Me suffers from a poorly-written chorus that
recalls Sheryl Crow at her absolute worst. Why I Lie contains some
impressive Rolling Stones-inspired guitars, but the rest of the song doesn’t
rise to the challenge. Sparse acoustic ballads such as Closer to You and
Table for One make for bland listening experiences, and when Phair
chooses to rock on Lost Tonight, it just doesn’t stack up to the album’s
exhilarating opening.
Undoubtedly, Somebody’s Miracle is a less artistically ambitious
effort than Exile In Guyville, which continues to be lauded by
pimply-faced music critics who still haven’t forgiven her for shedding her early
persona as a potty-mouth, free-spirited urbanite in lieu of being a more melodic
and, yes, a more seasoned musician. As far as the first half of Somebody’s
Miracle goes, this loss to music journalists is a gain to music fans.  ½
Somebody's Miracle is available from Amazon.com.
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2005
The Music Box
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