Liz Phair
whitechocolatespaceegg
[Matador/Capitol]
Rating: 6.4
After a seemingly- endless musical drought that left fans chewing off
their fingernails and critics scratching their heads, the incomparable
Liz Phair has returned with whitechocolatespaceegg, a project
that experienced more delays than 737 flights in December.
Phair, of course, was also
responsible for the unexpected masterwork Exile in Guyville, one
of this decade's classic albums and one that helped kick off the whole
"women in rock" affair in the pre- Lilith years. Since then, we've witnessed
her passage through the traditional phases of womanhood, her metamorphosis
from a freewheeling single girl grabbing the world by the throat and her men
by the crotch to a wife and mother.
Vocally, spaceegg is Phair's best work yet; her alto crosses the
once- prominent break between her registers with effortless ease. The 16
tracks are good, but they lack the power of "Girls! Girls! Girls!" or the
pile- driving bombastics of "Supernova." The self- professed "Pottymouthed
Girl" has toned down her act; she rarely talks dirty here. The sexual
politics she addressed with such bravado in Exile are still present, but
diluted into few- and- far- between lines like "sticks and stones can break my
bones/ and boys can make me kick and moan."
The title track boasts guitar
work in the classic Phair tradition, plus some interesting electronic
elements. It contrasts the fetching softness of "Perfect World" well, as
does "Johnny Feelgood." "Polyester Bride" is more cheery and sing- songy than
Phair's usual fare, but on "Headache," she reveals a periodic return to her
low-fi beginnings. From the looks of it, she won't be revisiting Guyville
anytime soon. But whitechocolatespaceegg proves that through it all, Liz
is still the Phairest of them all.
-Susan Moll