Morissette produces beautiful 'Chaos'

Any addiction is hard to kick, but getting my monthly fix from Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill has become an absolute necessity, and one that I am not willing to give up anytime soon. I must admit that she lost me a bit with her post-Pill releases, but my fickleness as a fan is more to blame than a decline in quality of her albums. \nMorissette is an ingenius songwriter, famous for her angst-ridden lyrics and her unpredictable melodies. Her most recent release, So Called Chaos, returns to the grunge-alternative sound of Pill, while exploring new harmonies and offering some surprisingly optimistic lyrics. The entire set is strong, ranging from indie-infused instrumentation and whispers to head-banging beats and wailing. \nSome notable tracks include "Eight Easy Steps," on which the percussion is flawless. The title track speaks of the woes of the working world ("deadlines and meetings and contract") when all Alanis wants to do is "be naked running through the streets." My favorite track is a beautiful ballad about forgiveness and the need to be forgiven, "be big and let go of a grudge that's grown old."\nOriginally from Ottawa, Canada, Morissette broke on the music scene in 1995 and immediately started an impressive collection of Grammys; seven to date and counting. She has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and is known to give kick-ass concerts. She is an artist that has never ceased to garner my utmost respect album after album. So Called Chaos is no exception.