Alanis Morissette

Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie

infactuation

Review Score:

(8/10)
Alanis' second album has a longer title and is longer too, with 17 songs and many words in between. Clearly, Alanis breaks new ground with this album and it's not meant to be Jagged Little Pill Part 2.

While Pill relies mainly on female angst that blows out of proportion, Junkie talks about reconciliation and acknowledgement. From the splendid Front Row to the appreciative Thank You, Alanis demonstrates a maturity that's more evident here. She and producer, Glen Ballard mix in some fast-tempo elements (I Was Hoping/So Pure) and the result is vastly different from Pill.

Several songs are touchingly beautiful. Are Still You Mad asks if Alanis' ex was still mad with her for lashing out. That I'll Be Good is haunting. The best of all is Unsent, a series of letters that Alanis wrote but never sent to her ex-lovers.

The words might be long and sometimes too relevant, but Alanis' strength lies in her delivery and her ear for great melodies. Though the album didnt sell like her debut, it certainly was her best yet then. There will still be cynical critics out there trying to hold her down but Junkie is a step to silencing them, but why does Alanis care anyway?

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