Artist: Alanis Morissette
Title: Havoc and Bright Lights
Label: Collective Sounds

Along with flannel shirts, repeat viewings of Friends and Nirvana, it's practically impossible to reminisce about the ‘90s without Alanis Morissette being part of the conversation. After all, as far as radio hits go, she was the Katy Perry of her day.

Whether she was singing about how a lover did her wrong in an angry snarl with plenty of expletives to boot or misusing the word "ironic" with a laundry list of all the things that annoy the average human being, her music was basically the soundtrack for any woman scorned.

But as many musical fads have come and gone since the release of Jagged Little Pill in 1995, Alanis has continued working out her issues through song. And while you'd think relatively recent motherhood and marriage would've mellowed the now thirty-something out considerably, there's still plenty of fire in Havoc and Bright Lights.In fact, if one were to break it down, it's far heavier on the havoc than the bright lights.

Produced by Guy Sigsworth (Seal, Madonna) and Joe Chiccarelli (Tori Amos, Elton John, U2), what's probably the album's most unique aspect is the sounds she's experimenting with. Definitely more radio-friendly than what we've heard on her past couple of albums, there's no shortage of hooks to grab your attention.

Unfortunately, her songwriting doesn't have quite as much careful editing. Anyone familiar with her post-Jagged Little Pill work will remember how she crams a whole lotta lyrics into every song, and Havoc is certainly no exception. If anything, she's not content to simply stick with one idea and run with it.

Covering well-worn subject matter like the troubling lengths people will go to win fame and fortune ("Celebrity) or how people who don't agree on something should try and find a happy medium ("Lens") or "Woman Down," a rant dead-set on taking "women haters" to task, there just isn't much lyrically that really sticks with you because she just goes on and on and on.

But if you're a longtime fan or just an extremely patient person, there are a handful of standout tracks, particularly the plaintive opener "Guardian." Still, if you want to hear Alanis at her absolute angst-y best, a more worthwhile journey is back to 1995 when the age of Alanis was more of a standout.

*This Review First Published 9/11/2012