Liz Phair
\"Liz Phair has always courted controversy. First, she injected her overt sexuality into the nerdy indie-rock world with her debut album *Exile In Guyville* and received an avalanche of critical kudos. Then, with her self-titled fourth album, she decided to make an overtly commercial pop record with several producers (including the Matrix who made Avril Lavigne a major star) and received cries of \"\"sellout.\"\" But the album hardly seems out of step with her previous work. It *is* brighter and larger-than-life compared to her previous attempts, but that\'s a welcome innovation. \"\"H.W.C.\"\" is sexually forthright and solidly propelled by a killer pop hook, while \"\"Extraordinary\"\" and \"\"Why Can\'t I?\"\" jump out of the speakers with electrical currency. \"\"Little Digger\"\" brings the conflicts of single motherhood and dating into sharp focus, as her child reminds her lovers, \"\"My mother is mine.\"\" Telling her boyfriend \"\"You\'re like my favorite underwear\"\" is Phair being her usual playful self. Face it, like Cyndi Lauper before, Phair just wants to have fun.\"
It could be said that Liz Phair's greatest asset has always been her inability to write a perfect pop ...
'Liz Phair' is at once a natural continuation of the mature introspection of its predecessor and an unabashed vie for pop success.