When opportunity knocks, you have to be ready to answer the door. Especially when you’ve been sitting around as long as Alanis Morissette has.
It’s been eight years since her last album, and far longer since she was an artist of any true cultural relevance. But thanks to the theatrical musical Jagged Little Pill — which arrived just before the 25th anniversary reissue of her career-defining album of the same name — the Ottawa native suddenly found herself in a fine position to reintroduce her sound to a new generation and rejuvenate her work for a new millennium. Unfortunately, Such Pretty Forks In The Road doesn’t really do much of either. Packing all the light, heat and intensity of a vanilla-scented candle, the set just dishes up another serving of the self-indulgent pop-psychology soft-rock ballads she’s been doling out for decades. Every now and then, her quirky, poetic lyrics and distinctive (but decidedly less prominent) vocal hitches briefly remind you of the dynamic and daring artist she was back before she hit the music-biz lotto and lost her angry edge. The rest of the time, Morissette just spins her wheels on her own private road to nowhere.
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Such Pretty Forks In The Road is singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette’s ninth album. Such Pretty Forks In The Road will be Morissette’s first original album since 2012’s Havoc and Bright Lights. Since 1995, Morissette has been one of the most influential singer-songwriter-musicians in contemporary music. Her deeply expressive music and performances have earned vast critical praise and seven Grammy Awards. Morissette’s debut Jagged Little Pill was followed by nine more eclectic and acclaimed albums. She has contributed musically to theatrical releases and has acted on the big and small screen.”
