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Overexposure once made her fantastic voice grate, but now it's like welcoming back an old friend--that distinctive little warble, that softness…it's her most valuable asset and the simple, clean production wisely allows it to breathe freely. Most of the songs follow a slow, quiet verse/loud sucker chorus pattern and there's nothing on here that rivals anything from her debut, but everybody (including herself) has accepted that now. The absence of a world-class co-songwriter plays a part, but it's a refreshing change to see no external involvement. Accept Morisette for what she is--a female singer/songwriter with an exceptional, original voice and you won't be disappointed. --Ben Johncock

I was actually rather surprised when I heard late last year that Alanis would be releasing a new album in the spring of 2004, as it was only two years since the predecessor and she usually takes a good three or fours to get another album out. I wasn't complaining though, and as soon as So-Called Chaos was released I raced out to buy it. What I found was a different Alanis - one who is definitely more relaxed and taking a more positive approach on life. It's brilliant to see Alanis finally so happy with life (and who wouldn't be with a hottie boyfriend like Ryan?!) and this definitely reflects in her music. People are comparing this album to JLP - forget that, it's nothing like it. JLP was totally singular and nothing now or in the future will come close to its genius and impact.

What So-Called Chaos has, though, is amazing vocals and stunning melodies that totally breathe new life into the music industry. The opening track, "Eight Easy Steps," is a fast-paced rocker with catchy verse and head-banging choruses! Alanis really lets go on this amazing song which incorporates Oriental and Asian influences that work a treat. This is also a recurring theme throughout the album. "Out Is Through" is a fantastic mid-tempo pop/rock gem that was totally made for radio. The lyrics are positive, Alanis' voice radiant and the melody powerful and very relatable. Many have said that "Excuses" sounds very similar to "Precious Illusions" from the last album and in a way it does, but this is much better! The beat is fantastic, the lyrics inspirational, the melody incredibly catchy and Alanis' voice absolutely mind-blowing. It almost makes me cry at the chorus and when she sings, "No one can have it all." This song is best experienced driving down a motorway!

"Doth I Protest Too Much" is a haunting, if familiar, kind of song in which Alanis exclaims that she isn't jealous that her man stares at other women, when really, she's raging with jealously and anger inside. It's her comedic take on trying to fit into a relationship, and it works a treat. "Knees Of My Bees" is an amazing song just from the title! The song itself is an extremely catchy and loved-up song that Alanis wrote about Mr. Reynolds, the man currently dominating her life, and what an impact he's made! The Oriental theme is evident here with a beautiful sitar and some superb lyrics. "So-Called Chaos," the album's title track, is a total monster. It starts off a bit shaky with stop-start vocals, but once the chorus kicks in, you know you're onto something special, especially as she screeches, "I wanna be naked, running through the streets!" Alanis-zilla hits New York City, oh yes! "Not All Me" is not instantly loveable, but definitely grows on you. It opens amazingly with a stunning synth intro and some really sweet vocals from Alanis.

"This Grudge" is the album's main ballad and what a total cracker it is! Alanis sings of a grudge that she holds, not with a past-lover, but with herself. The lyrics are powerfully honest as she sings, "But who's it hurting now? Who's the one that's stuck? Who's it torturing now, with an antique knot in her stomach?" She attacks the woman scorned from 1995, and it's as if she's finally letting go. "Spineless" is a fantastic and humorous rocker in which Alanis vows to change herself to be subservient to her new lover - to be opinionless to everything he says and does. Of course, this isn't the Alanis we know and could never imagine evolving into and therein lies (no, not 'the problem', Mr. Sympathetic Character) the comedy! The album closes superbly with the album's lead single "Everything." I actually wasn't too sure when I first heard this song a few months ago, but since then it has totally grown on me. I love the brave and brazen honesty in the lyrics and the bridge where she sings, "What I resist persists and speaks louder than I know. What I resist you love no matter how low or high I go!"

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

I praise Alanis for standing up for what she believes in at that awards show earlier on the year - you GO GIRL! I also admire her greatly for not making music that the masses want and just making music that comes naturally to her. It is a total bonus that die-hard fans such as myself worship it, because this is truly fantastic music. It might not to be everyone's taste, but Alanis fans will adore it. The album only peaked at No.8 in the UK and No.5 in the US upon release, and should have been No.1, but it's alright: washaway Usher can keep his No.1, because releasing records of Alanis' calibre is much more worthy than a disappointing, overhyped multi-million seller! Alanis has changed my life and I realise I'm waffling now, so I'll close it up. Basically, this is the album of 2004 for me. Buy this now!

P.S. Loving the hair, Alanis!


Like Chanté Moore said, "Love's taken over"   August 26, 2004
 32 out of 34 found this review helpful

I remember seeing the video for "Everything" on VH1 and I asked, "This is Alanis Morissette?" Not that it's a bad song, but I was surprised not to hear any yelling (for lack of a better term). And there really isn't any loud singing on the album, except maybe on the song she has out now, "Eight Easy Steps". Apparently a lot of reviewers feel the same way I did, saying that the old Alanis was more entertaining than the new Alanis. Yes, if you have all of her other albums and enjoy them, you may not feel the same --at least, at first listen -- about So-Called Chaos.

This album was written in the midst of her relationship with her now fiancé, Ryan Reynolds (best known from playing the title role of National Lampoon's Van Wilder; or didn't anyone else see that movie either?). That probably explains why many of the songs on here are romantic. But these songs aren't sappy or anything. There are lovely songs like "Out Is Through" and the aforementioned "Everything". And when Alanis gets innovative with the subject matter, it's still impressive, as evidenced by "This Grudge" (some think it's a response to "You Oughta Know") and "Not All Me".

With a slim ten tracks totaling just over 40 minutes, So-Called Chaos is an album that's just right for a quick listen. The only real flaw is that I have no idea what she's talking about on "Knees of My Bees". But love Alanis' new style or hate it, you should still add this to your collection. Who knows, you might like it after a while.

Anthony Rupert


BEST CD since Jagged Little Pill   May 19, 2004
 14 out of 14 found this review helpful

The CD, overall, does not depart from her signature styles too much. Her sound has evolved, obviously, but the most important change is the tone of her lyrics. At least 4 of the 10 tracks are love songs, and not bitter ones, like she is so good at writing. This takes away from the album slightly...but is a fine change in some ways too.

Her lyrics, yet again, are excellent. She is one of the wittiest, most ironic, and best songwriters alive. Though the album is slightly overproduced, the music is pretty good too.

Track by track:

1. Eight Easy Steps - 9/10 - An under 3-minute beginning track that just WORKS. This song reminds me most on the album of something from Jagged Little Pill. This may be the next single...the verses go from a "How to" book on be a bad person...to the chorus saying she will "teach you all this, in eight easy steps". Catchy poprock!

2. Out Is Through - 7/10 - She likes doing this...the second time in two songs that she runs the end of the verse into the beginning of the chorus. Oh well. A catchy song, with a sad tint to it. More like something from her last album, Under Rug Swept.

3. Excuses - 9/10 - The beginning of this song is just beautiful...again, a sad tint...her voice is pretty here. The chorus reflects the verse, as a good song should. Catchy! At this point, this album is seeming almost better than Jagged Little Pill!

4. Doth I Protest Too Much - 10/10 - I love this song. Period. It's about jealousy...from a woman's point of view of a guy who likes to look around *winks*. It's my favorite on the album. "I'm not jealous, I don't get moved by much...I'm not enraged, not insecure as such...and doth I protest too much?"

5. Knees Of My Bees - 9/10 - The song starts off with a Norwegian Wood-ish sitar, and goes right into a poprock love song with a WEIRD but original theme. It's refreshing to hear love songs with actual GOOD lyrics. It's a bit funny too, as suggested by the title!

6. Not All Me - 6/10 - "I don't mind helping you out, but I want you to remember my name..." this song has some good lines, but the chorus is a bit corny for Alanis, and it's a bit slow. Too normal for her. However, it's pretty, and many people might like it.

7. So-Called Chaos - 8/10 - The seventh straight song with an explosive chorus to a soft verse. Try varying it some, girl! That said, although this song doesn't have a definite good hook, it is catchy, well written, and fun to listen to.

8. This Grudge - 9/10 - The longest song on the album...a slower ballad. Very pretty, and one you can fall in love with slowly. "I want to be big and let go of this grudge that's grown old, all this time...I've not know how to rest this bygone...I want to be soft and resolved...I want to forgive for both of us"

9. Spineless - 10/10 - My other favourite song here. This one is almost a feminine speak-out song...about women who just give in to men. It's a great, catchy song.

10. Everything - 5/10 - The first single, and my least favorite track on the album. More of a corny love song, without any true Alanis in it.

OVERALL - 9/10

VERY good CD, with only two weak tracks, in my opinion. And even those tracks are quite listenable and possibly liked in the future. The best release besides Five For Fighting's new CD from this year, so far. DEFINITELY a solid album all the way through, and one to pick up or download very soon.


Morissette, once again, has acheived perfection.   May 19, 2004
 13 out of 15 found this review helpful

I must admit that I am not surprised by the overall product Alanis Morissette's "So-Called Chaos" - but that's not always a bad thing. In this case, actually, it's an incredibly good thing.

This widely-awaited album begins with a catchy pop-rock track called "Eight Easy Steps." Be prepared for this one: you'll end up bopping your head to the beat so hard that it hurts. "Eight Easy Steps" is possibly the best track on the CD, mostly because Alanis seems to have perfected the art of writing catchy lyrics ("how to keep smiling when you're thinking of killing yourself") to exceptional tunes.

"Chaos" is getting a lot of attention from reviewers because its reminiscence of her first release, "Jagged Little Pill," but it's quite the contrary. This new, fresh CD from Alanis is in a category entirely of its own - and that's just what I was waiting for when I first listened to this album.

The second and third tracks, "Out is Through" and "Excuses," are both good enough songs, but the production might need a little upgrading. (I'm not saying I'm an expert on producing albums, but this could have honestly been done just a tad better.) Once again Morissette jumps straight into the chorus before letting her audience hear the rest of the last line, and it sounds good for a while - but then it gets a little tiring.

"Doth I Protest Too Much" - this track is truly enchanting. It's not as upbeat as some of the other songs on "Chaos," but her lyrics and her tunes are exemplary. It's the sort of song that you find yourself sticking on repeat for a while, but wait till you hear "Knees of my Bees," the next track on the CD.

I absolutely LOVE this song. It's definitely got a catchy enough tune, and it's the sort of song you can listen to with anyone - even non-Alanis fans. "Knees of my Bees" begins with a quick guitar bit that is strongly evocative of an exotic, Asian feel, but then jumps straight into a quick, pop-rock-like beat and Alanis's voice soon drifts over the speakers flawlessly, ending up in an astoundingly wonderful chorus that somewhat mocks the commonly-used phrase "bee's knees."

I will admit, the album's namesake track, "So-Called Chaos," doesn't start out very engagingly. When you hear the beginning of this song you'll feel like you're trapped in some twisted dream that you can't get out of, but just wait: the song transfigures into a hard-rhythmed rock single, containing the lyrics "I wanna be naked, running through the streets/I wanna invite this so-called chaos that you think I dare not be."

The rest of the CD goes on like this, with its strong tracks (such as "Not All Me" and "Everything") and its "Jagged Little Pill" reminiscent tracks ("This Grudge;" "Spineless"), but overall gives us some relief from the rest of the music world, which seems to be shattering into pieces.

"So-Called Chaos," overall, is a work of art, and I commend it as the best album I've heard this year.


Better than Under Rug Swept, not as good as Pill or Junkie..   July 18, 2004
 12 out of 13 found this review helpful

"You Oughta Know" was the song that introduced us to Alanis. She had four more hits from her debut (and best) album Jagged Little Pill (in order)- "Hand In My Pocket", "You Learn", "Ironic", and "Head Over Feet".

3 years later was the release of Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, which wasn't as good as Pill but it still rocked, spawning the hits "Thank U", "Unsent", and "So Pure".

2 years ago, Alanis released Under Rug Swept, which in my opinion was her worst album. It had the singles "Hands Clean" and "Precious Illusions".

"Everything" was the first single from So-Called Chaos and it was definitely a terrible choice-- it's the worst song on the album. The best move possibly for the first single would have been "Knees Of My Bees"-- it's so catchy that everyone would love it.

So-Called Chaos opens with "Eight Easy Steps", her next US single. Eight Easy Steps is a catchy, fast-paced rocker that's produced by a sitar. It's a highlight, but definitely not a favorite.

In Europe, Alanis released "Out Is Through" as her second single, and it has a really bad video. It's just some blonde girl trying to get to an Alanis concert. If you're a fan, it's worth seeing. It's at http://www.warnermusic.de/playMediaExtern.jsp?mid=410475 and you need RealPlayer to view it. Out Is Through is a catchy pop track that was probably made for radio. It's a very simple song, yet catchy.

The third track is "Excuses" which is my second favorite from this album. I have a feeling this will be the third single, if there is one, and I have an even better name-- Precious Illusions Part II. The lyrics and the sound are very similar to Precious Illusions, and by coincidence, both are my second favorite from the album (PI follows Narcissus). However, this is a better track than Precious Illusions. This is a nice track with great lyrics (Why no one will help me, I'm too dumb, I'm too smart).

My personal favorite on the album is the next track, called "Doth I Protest Too Much". One of the reasons it's so great is because the song proves the lyrics wrong. The song is pure jealousy and the lyrics deny it. I'm humming the chorus right now (I'm not jealous, I don't get moved by much, I'm not enraged, not insecure as such, not going insane, rational stays in touch, and Doth I Protest Too Much?).

The fifth track, Knees Of My Bees, is my third favorite. Like I said before, it would have been the best choice for the first single. It's such a fun track-- the lyrics are great and the song is so catchy.

Track #6 is the title track which is perhaps the heaviest track on the album. The verses pick up very slowly and just at the end of the slow verse, the monster kicks into chorus (I wanna be naked, running through the streets, I wanna invite this so-called chaos that you think I dare not be). It is an excellent track.

The album slows down a bit with "Not All Me", a dark track. I don't have very much to say about it, just give it a spin. "This Grudge" recalls all of Alanis' angry moments (You Oughta Know, Right Through You, Front Row, Baba, Are You Still Mad, Sympathetic Character, Narcissus).

"Spineless" reminds me of 21 Things I Want In A Lover, but it's not as good. Spineless has an odd way of describing love, which begins with Alanis talking and only a guitar behind her. It's a good track, not the best, but good.

Like I said before, the final track, Everything, is the worst on the album. It's the only track I can say I can't love. Not that it's bad, it's just boring.

Overall, this is better than Under Rug Swept, but not as good as Pill or Junkie. You should buy it, it's better than mostly everything around right now. You might be surprised.