Alanis Morissette w/Souleye: at Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, TN) Fri. October 26, 2012

Alanis Morissette w/Souleye

Nashville Scene Critic's Pick …

Alanis Morissette answered the two most important questions about life in 1995: “Isn’t it ironic?” and “Would she go down on you in a theater?” She also recommended walking around naked in your living room, biting off more than you could chew and getting your heart trampled on. Unfortunately, all that sexy angst and fuming lyrical content disappeared in her newest album — softening her jagged ’90s charm and making way for a granola-nut-hippie version of Morissette. The album, Havoc and Bright Lights, has received mixed reviews, and for a good reason. It’s like when that girl who encouraged you to smoke cigarettes between classes in high school suddenly starts spending Friday nights making crafts and baking cookies. We should have known something was up when she started thanking us in 1998. The album does have a rhythmical, poetic quality that somewhat redeems the lack of bitterness and hostility, and rumor is she performs a good mix of the ol’ fiery stuff and the new-age meditation tunes. As for me, I’ll be home decoupaging a picture frame and baking some S’mores.

—AMANDA HAGGARD