March 2002
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ENTERTAINMENT

Alanis Morissette: Under Rug Swept
By Beverley Yu, Grade 13, Father Michael McGivney School, Markham, ON

Under Rug Swept is the 3rd studio album under Morissette's belt and again she manages to serve up the same quality of deep sultry lyrics while invoking thought, inspiration and even controversy. This time around, Morissette takes on new responsibilities as producer as well as writing the lyrics to Under Rug Swept. After four years of waiting for new material, this album is arguably one of the best in the Alanis Morissette collection and delivers for fans.

As opposed to Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, Morissette has moved from spiritual slow paced lyrics back to the raw and harder edged song writing she's been known for from her Jagged Little Pill release. Given that she is in a different emotional place than she was four years ago, it still possesses the ability of capturing the listener with the words in the songs.

In tracks such as 21 Things I Want In a Lover and So Unsexy shows the raw and unconstrained song writing that she is best known for. She reveals herself emotionally in lyrical content and lets audience in to her life, to almost feel part of it. For an artist to be so open and sincere with their fans, it just goes to show their authenticity and inventiveness. The unrestrained approach to the songs will be much appreciated by true fans.

"That Particular Time" is one of the slow ballads of Under Rug Swept that carries away the listener by the pure emotion of the song about a not so wanted break up. There are also the tracks that are reminiscent of Jagged Little Pill such as "Narcissus" which has a punchy beat that has her asking "why, why, why…" Just as catchy as "Precious Illusions" which will most likely be a follow-up to "Hands Clean".

The entire album is an emotional roller coaster of life accounts that keep the audience listening intensely to the lyrics as well as the song itself. If you bought Jagged Little Pill and liked "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie", Under Rug Swept will most likely be stuck on "repeat" in your CD player. In an industry now that is so keen on what makes the big bucks and sacrificing artistic integrity, this album is here to prove that true artists still do exist.