Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair

I like quite a few songs on this album - usually the ones with a upbeat, indie-rock feel. 6'1" is a great opener and Help Me Mary is also good. Never Said is another track that works well for me and Mesmerizing is my favourite on the album. The other less straight ahead and more "arty" tunes are often quite successful and worthy of close inspection. There's no doubting the talent on display here the level of songwriting is quite remarkable for a debut album as is the sheer breadth of ideas and sound stylings, how much of that is Miss Phair and how much the expert prouction is up for debate howeverthat's besides the point as each listen reveals new layers of depth. I never really listened much to this album when I first explored it, but this time I'm on my 3rd consecutive listen through and the reasons for its high acclaim are being revealed. 4 stars

4