Such Pretty Forks In The Road, Alanis Morrisette
All albums are reviewed on a scale from one to ten, with ten being the highest possible score.
Please Note: All views expressed here are the author’s own.
Quarantine has left me with a burning sense of boredom that often fills itself with music. I feel as if Alanis Morrisette was very aware of the fact that I have spent the last few months feeling a bit sentimental. In her latest release, Such Pretty Forks in the Road serenades listeners with a ballad-forward album that leans into a subdued and gentle territory.
*CONTENT WARNING: the review below tackles sensitive topics including, but not limited to, addiction and mental health.*
With her first release in 8 years, Alanis packs away some of her angst and opens up about her life. She shares about her chaotic and messy life. Her lyrics and disposition illustrate a maturity born from pain. Regardless of it all, she has still made it through. She still smiles, she loves, and she sees the beauty around her. Most importantly she continues to push through it all.
Morrisette’s iconic whispy tone makes her work incredibly distinguishable and within seconds you recognize her voice. Even with her one-of-a-kind sound, the songs feel less punchy and upbeat than her past work. The album exhibits a more worn side of Morrisette, one that is dealing with depression and facing the reality of anxiety and addiction. Jagged Little Pill branded Morrisette as a rugged, headstrong punk woman, but Such Pretty Forks in the Road dedicates itself to peeling back some of those layers. In the process, it unveils a vulnerable and sensitive version of Morrisette that we haven’t yet seen.
The album starts with “Smiling,” a tune that explains the pain struggling internally, yet feeling the need to put on a smile through it all. Morrisette explains the feeling of “hitting bottom” but still needing to continue on and smile. It feels bittersweet and blissful. Alanis explains this overwhelming hurt that she has felt but there is still a sense of movement and hope.
The lead single, “Reasons I drink”, is the highpoint of the album. Morisette’s voice floats over a jangly piano and she recollects her past and her struggles with addiction. She explains how her behaviors were born out of survival. They are the ways that she copes with the “sick industry” that she has worked in since a young age. Morrisette is spiteful. Her frustrations and pain live in each lyric. Decades worth of beating down by the relentless music industry that she essentially grew up in. The song feels like a tipping point. It swells with tension, only to open and release as Morissette belts the chorus one last time. It is the kind of beautifully messy song that you want to shout at the top of your lungs with your friends after a long night together.
The album loses steam as the tracks packed into the middle of the album start to feel repetitive. Ballad after ballad, the album begins to have a sense of muddled sulkiness. While it seems intentional that the album is full of mellow ballads, the collection of all the songs leave something to be desired. Each song individually has its own power and importance, the lyrics are masterfully written. While I appreciate the passion that has gone into each song, the composite album can easily become background noise. With each ballad that follows another ballad, the album seems to lose its enchantment and leave you yearning for a contrasting up-tempo tune.
Such Pretty Forks in the Road is a dedication to grieving and growing. Morissette is seemingly opening up a new chapter in her life while reflecting on the past that built her. The album is full of emotion and a believable realness. It is clear that Morissette is done being cryptic. Her lyrics are precise and she is set out to name those who have harmed her. The album is brave. It calls out the music industry for the trauma it has caused not only Morrissette but a multitude of other young women. However, it is apparent that this album isn’t about revenge, it is about healing. As you listen you can sense the weight that has been lifted off Morissette. By the time you reach the final song, “Pedestal”, there is an undeniable sense of freedom as Alanis closes the album pronouncing, “I'm sure you've enjoyed the ride, who wouldn't?”
WORDS BY HAYLEY SNELL, MARKETING DIRECTOR