Such Pretty Forks In The Road - Alanis Morissette
is a Canadian singer and song-writer who is most famous for her unique and recognizable vocals, as well as her landmark 1995 album Jagged Little Pill. Since then Alanis has released a number of other records to moderate critical acclaim with her last being 2012's Havoc And Bright Lights.
Review By Lavender:
It would have sounded really weird at one point to call Alanis overrated but in 2020 I feel like its appropriate. With a growing online indie community refusing to give her due credit for her excellent Jagged Little Pill, alongside a few of the other records in her discography also not receiving credit for how creative they are and how unique and captivating her lead vocals can be. I was excited going into this record given that I liked a few of the singles and have been hoping for her to get more credit this time around. While this record didn't blow me away it is a solid collection of tunes that puts her talents on display effectively.
The singles were a bit of a mixed bag but I did really enjoy two of them. Smiling is the opening track here and features some legitimately triumphant instrumentation alongside more intoxicating vocal moments which Alanis delivers with poise. The song serves as a good opener for the record here. Reasons I Drink has grown on me quite a bit since it was first released as a single. I like the bouncy keys that glide the song through the more confrontational vocal delivery. If you aren't a fan of Alanis as a singer this track may set you off but I've always enjoyed her unique vocals and they work well here. There are some pretty weak ballads in the first half of the record but in the second half they get much better starting with Losing The Plot. The piano led instrumental does a great job at backing the songs dramatic rise and the pummeling crash of guitars and vocals makes for a great moment each time.
Her is a super dramatic and swelling style of ballad that I really enjoy with some of my favorite lyrics and the most vivid imagery on the record. The instrumental is stripped back but Alanis totally takes over making for a huge highlight. The closing track Pedestal is another highlight that goes for a much more dejected emotional sound than many of the other songs here. Even though there is a lesson of individuality and confidence particularly in the second half of the song there is still an essence of melancholy that I think makes for a really interesting closing moment. The final big highlight is Sandbox Love a super late 90's radio hit sounding song but I enjoy it. Even though the instrumental is very breezy it feels much more authentic than some of the nostalgic modern artists trying to attempt the same thing.
A couple of tracks here, specifically Ablaze and Nemesis have some good moments but feel like the drag on. The former features some of the most eclectic vocals on the record but the rambling songwriting does drag on, the latter has a few grand epic moments but at almost six minutes it definitely doesn't warrant being the records longest cut.
Diagnosis was a single that didn't do much for me, a heads up piano ballad that I thought was decent as a single but fails to stand out here. Even with a strong moment or two the song almost always settles back into its less explosive passages. Despite a solid and impactful hook which also features some good lyrical content there isn't much else here. Reckoning was by far my least favorite of the singles and is one of my least favorite songs on the entire record. The song feels like it is just trudging in slow motion the entire time its on and I keep waiting for a rise in the songs energy or tempo that would match the lyrics but it never comes. Finally Missing The Miracle is another sort of underwhelming ballad which completely lacks in meaningful moments vocally or musically, and also has one of the records weakest hooks.
Such Pretty Forks is a solid return to form from Alanis and long time fans of her or of indie rock in general should give it an honest shot. With vocals as unique and intoxicating as ever and no shortage of topics to craft songs around there is a confidence and veteran presence on the album that makes for a number of pretty great tunes. 7/10
Album Cover Review By Tyler Judson:
This cover made me have so many thoughts good and bad. When it first was released I thought it was horrible and overdone. I could probably go on Pinterest and look up hundreds of photoshoots with the same concept to it gets a fat zero for originality. The composition is nice and it has become less horrible the more I see it. The white lettering and placement is also a nice addition. 4/10
For more indie rock check out my review of HAIM's Women In Music Pt. 3 here
