Underneath the Surface

Lyrically, Alanis Morissette's Under Rug Swept finds the singer-songwriter still sorting through the emotional debris of past relationships. However, this time around, she seems more emotionally hurt than angered by those situations and reveals this effect less explicitly, relying on the subtle nuances in her voice and lyrics, which are accompanied by appropriate, affecting music. For instance, on tracks like "Flinch" and "That Particular Time," Morissette exposes the torturous nature of previous relationships through haunting, simple guitar- and piano-driven melodies accompanied by vague confessional lyrics. Even on the album's first single, "Hands Clean," Morrisette's bitter anger has been tempered to affected sarcasm, allowing the track to feature a more poignant reaction than previous efforts displayed. Moreover, she has transferred the defiant energy, which once characterized "You Oughtta Know," to emboldened, positive tracks like the opening salvo, "21 Things I Want in a Lover," and the brilliantly crafted "A Man" on which she seizes control of those who have betrayed her, creating their apology and confession.

Nonetheless, some things never change. Although Morissette is escaping the demons of her past in several ways on this album, she's not yet free from her tendency to create somewhat contrived lyrics. On "Precious Illusions," the instantaneous dissonance between her inquisitive lyrics and her matter-of-fact tone is succeeded by clichZs like "You'll complete me, right?" and "I won't keep on playing the victim." Nonetheless, these minor setbacks in originality are not enough to detract from the album's overall anthemic nature.