The last musical I saw on Broadway before Covid necessitated the shut down of all Broadway shows (until the end of the year!) was Jagged Little Pill, inspired by the themes of loss, heartache and healing that Alanis Morissette explored on her debut album. I wasn't sure what to expect. How would such a seminal album translate to the stage 25 years after its release? It turns out, very very well, which is a testament to the timeless brilliance of the album and Alanis Morissette's exceptional skill as a songwriter.
Her talent as an artist and songwriter is reaffirmed on her ninth studio album, Such Pretty Forks In The Road, released on 31 July. Prior to the album's release, she had released four singles, namely Reasons I Drink (which explores addiction and how we turn to bad things in our "need for respite" because "nothing can give reprieve like they do"), Smiling, a song written for the Jagged Little Pill musical featuring the album's title in the lyrics: "Such pretty forks in the road / On this continuum I've been bouncing / Life flashing promise before my eyes", Diagnosis (an emotional ballad with beautiful layered vocals and gentle strings which addresses the stigma around mental illness) and Reckoning, a darker song that deals with "predators and prey" in the context of the vulnerable who are "pounced on" by those who are in positions of power).
She also released a video for Ablaze, a song dedicated to her children in which she outlines her hopes for each of them and her maternal "mission" to "keep the light in [their] eyes ablaze", which comes across as endearing rather than saccharine. The video features footage of her husband, Souleye, and their children dressed in costumes and bouncing on a trampoline as well as scenes in which she observes them under a giant microscope.
Roisin O'Connor from Independent describes the album as a "a one-woman dissection of breakdowns, addiction, insomnia, depression and motherhood". She explores these interconnected narratives in true Alanis fashion: candidly, poetically and using the full power of her distinctive voice. The album features more ballads as opposed to the angry, angsty rock tracks that Alanis is known for but retains her signature sharp lyrics, catchy melodies and polished production. It is a brilliant album from start to end that stands alongside some of her best work from the past 25 years.
Favourite Tracks: Smiling, Reasons I Drink, Diagnosis, Missing the Miracle and Nemesis
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