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Rating: Ladies. Are you in the midst of a midlife crisis? Don't worry, you'll find it easy to befriend this record. Because in the end, it's an album that shares your problems, and there's nothing like being understood by someone experiencing similar struggles in friendship, right?
Perhaps it's precisely the midlife crisis that's currently inspiring Liz Phair, the self-proclaimed "Blowjob Queen" who with "Exile In Guyville" in 1993 shook that decade musically with her irreverent and brazen talk about sex, alongside the generous helpings of sarcasm and cynicism that generally permeated her lyrics. Liz Phair's previous self-titled album was anything but a masterpiece: the Connecticut singer-songwriter appeared as a sexy thirty-six-year-old mom who would have moved heaven and earth to become the adult answer to Avril Lavigne. Despite everything, the album was a smooth pop-rock record that was quite enjoyable if listened to without any expectations.
"Somebody's Miracle" neither here nor there, presents a lost singer-songwriter with few ideas. The album won't satisfy the recently acquired mainstream audience nor win back the fans who praised her until "Whitechocolatespaceegg." The result is a total failure, no matter how you look at it.
Most of the songs are bland and useless, lacking the courage and sharp wit that defined Liz Phair in the '90s. The single "Everything To Me", for example, is a cluster of disarming clichés: phrases like "Do you really know me at all, would you take the time to catch me if I fall, are you ever gonna be that real to me" are so predictable and lack depth that I refuse to believe they were written with serious intentions. Musically, it's even worse: a typical pseudo-melancholic pop ballad that spills over into a chorus decorated with plastered guitars, evoking a strong sense of déjà-vu and heavily reminiscent of Natalie Imbruglia and the latest Sheryl Crow in their mediocrity. At this point, it's fortunate that Phair remains physically attractive, as she ages gracefully. Even less defensible are "Lost Tonight" and "Count On My Love." The title track, on the other hand, would be more palatable if it weren't so cheesy and hadn't been dubbed by someone as "Fuck and Run pt. 2", which is quite a stretch since it lacks the punch and credibility of "Fuck and Run" from "Exile In Guyville."
There's little left of "Somebody's Miracle": there are the energetic refrains of the fun and carefree "Stars and Planets" and "Got My Own Thing." There's "Leap Of Innocence", which opens the record decently with a nostalgic soliloquy and might faintly evoke "Polyester Bride" from "Whitechocolatespaceegg"; or even the following "Wind And The Mountain", enjoyable despite extending too long without truly renewing itself in its five and a half minutes. But these are songs of dubious longevity, which do not save the album from the depths of inadequacy nor the listener from a bitter disappointment.
I don't know what will happen to Liz Phair after "Somebody's Miracle": it's commendable that she's trying to break away from her '90s persona, because she could easily release a "2000 version of Exile In Guyville" and have a slew of timid indie-rockers hanging on her gorgeous scarlet lips. Perhaps, though, she just needs to filter this desire to stand out from megalomaniac commercial ambitions - for which she has shown she's not up to the task - and combine it with more thoughtful, mature compositions that represent the irony that has always characterized her.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Leap of Innocence (04:22)
I saw John, he looked so sad
I want you to know that I feel bad for not making our dreams come true.
We had so many dreams, me and you.
I want you to know I love you.
You're my favorite thing from the past,
And all of those nights we spent together,
I never had such a blast....
Anyone could tell you were my instrument, he said, I understand you.
You wanna play me.
Everything about us had an innocence, but everything around us was changing
It's hard to believe so much happened so fast
Remember the way we always left
While I'm thinking of the things you do
We were kings of the world, me and you
I wish it has stayed like that forever
But everyone was dropping off like flowers
I had so many friends in rehab,
A couple who practically died
Anyone could tell you were my instrument, you said, I understand you.
You wanna play me.
Everything about us had an innocence, but everything around us was changing
And my mistake was being already married.
I wanna make a leap of innocence to you.
I guess when you were living the high life
It's one of those things that just can't last
Kind of like love in California
But I never had such a blast
Anyone could tell you were my instrument, you said, I understand you.
You wanna play me.
Everything about us had an innocence, but everything around us was changing
My mistake is thinking I'd already made it.
I wanna make a leap of innocence
My mistake is thinking you and I can change it.
I wanna make a leap of innocence to you
02 Wind and the Mountain (05:33)
You lose your way
You've gotta land
You've gotta make another plan
But sometimes I am too tired
You've gotta smile
You've gotta play
You've gotta work another day
But sometimes I am too tired
You've gotta raise your hand and say
I don't understand
But there are days when I'm to tired
There are days when I'm just too tired
And the wind that I'm in
Screams on me
Howls around me
And I feel like I am a naked man
I've got nothing and no one in a stranger's land
And the wind will do me in
Everyday
You've gotta run
You've got a job
You get it done
But sometimes I am too tired
You wanna roll in the grass
Kick your shoes off
Have a laugh
But sometimes I am too tired
I wanna raise my hand and say
I don't understand
But there are days when I'm to tired
There are days when I'm just too tired
And the wind kicks in again and says
Lean on me
Rise above me
And it says
Sailor don't leave the channel now
Deep blue rollers are breaking across your bow
And the wind will guide you in
So I went up the mountain
But all I saw was another mountain
So I came down the mountain
And I said, "leave me here lord"
So I went up the mountain
And all I saw was anouther mountain
So I came down the mountain
And I said, leave me here lord
Leave me in the valley
Let me rest my weary head
Give peace to your survivor
Put all my fears to bed
You lose your way
You've gotta land
You've gotta make another plan
But sometimes I am inspired
You're gonna sing another song
You're gonna right another wrong
And sometimes I am inspired
You're gonna raise your hand and say
I don't understand
There are days when you get an answer
There are days when you find your answer
04 Somebody's Miracle (04:23)
I'm so far, so far away from it now
That it seems like I may never know how
People stay in love for half of their lives
It's a secret they keep between the husbands and wives
Baby, There goes somebody's miracle
Walking down the street
There goes a modern fairy tale
I wish it could happen to me
But I look at myself
Wondering if I'm just too weak
To have such faith in myself
Once upon a time I was so restless in love
When things were fine, I changed my mind just because
Now I see how wrong and reckless I've been
Each frog has a prince just waiting inside of him
Baby, There goes somebody's miracle
Walking down the street
There goes a modern fairy tale
I wish it could happen to me
But I look at myself, and I think what the hell
Maybe I'm just too naive
To have such faith in myself
You know I'm praying for it
But the queen, she likes to sit on her throne
Doesn't mean you two are never alone
It's just love has needs that love only knows
Watch a couple stay close, It's like the bloom of a rose
Baby, There goes somebody's miracle
Walking down the street
There goes a modern fairy tale
I wish it could happen to me
There goes somebody's miracle
Walking down the street
There goes a modern fairy tale...
I never cry out loud, I
I keep my tears to myself
But I woke up one day and I found my life had left me for someone else
I, I guess it must be unhappy with me
Baby, There goes somebody's miracle
Walking down the street
There goes a modern fairy tale
I wish it could happen to me
But I look at myself
Wondering if I'm just too weak
To have such faith in myself
You know I'm praying for it
You know I'm praying for it
You know I'm praying for it
07 Lazy Dreamer (04:55)
You fall hard, you fall deep
Even when you're awake, you look half asleep
Do you even know what you did last summer?
Wandering around that dumb and blind
With the girls all hanging around you
Is that a no or yes?
We'll have to guess
Mysterious eyes let you see what you want
Half the time you didn't know any better, but half the time you did
Hanging around like tomorrow doesn't apply to you
Lazy dreamer
You never want to rise
Seven in between us you're almost paralyzed
Makes no difference to you the sun shining in your eyes
Waiting for you they don't even realize
08 Everything to Me (03:19)
I bet it makes you laugh
Watching me work so hard to reach you
You never gave a damn
About all of those things I did to please you
All that you wanted, you found somewhere else
And nothing could drag you away from yourself
Do you really know me at all?
Would you take the time to catch me if I fall?
Are you ever gonna be that real to me?
Everything to me
Lucky I've been through hell
Backroads and shortcuts I know them well
Baby just stick with me
We'll make it together, just wait and see
Do you really know me at all?
Would you take the time to catch me if I fall?
Are you ever gonna be that real to me?
Everything to me
The walls they close in
The air it goes out
We're left with nothing but a shadow of doubt
Nobody talks, no one is here
It's just you and me
Do you really know me at all?
Would you take the time to catch me if I fall?
Are you ever gonna be that real to me?
Everything to me
Do you really know me at all?
Would you take the time to catch me if I fall?
Are you ever gonna be that real to me?
Everything to me
I bet it makes you laugh
Watching me work so hard to reach you
09 Closer to You (03:37)
I see the things you do
Do you think I wander through half-blind?
I see the things you hide
The fear you have inside is nothing new
But I would never want to find out everything about you
Because I would never want to find out
What I thought wasn't true
Your mind is a place
I don't need to embrace
But what you've got on your heart
Is enough for me to start breaking through
And closer to you
Closer to you
I love you as you are
Near and not too far out of you
I love the way you walk
To hear it when you talk like you do
But I would never want to choose
What I like best about you
Because I would never want to spoil that mystery
With a clue
Your mind is a place
I don't need to embrace
But what you've got in your heart
Is enough for me to start
With enough holes in my soul
I don't need to rock and roll to stay in tune
And be open to you
Open to you
Oh the obviousness of all those Frustrating clues
They wander all around
Black and white, no sound, no improvements
But I see something like TV
With a smell and a choice
When I feel yours and my heart beating
With the wealth of the universe
Your mind is a place
I don't need to embrace
What you've got in your heart
Is enough for me to start
Making your happiness my own
Open up and let me show what I can do
When I am closer to you
Closer to you
10 Table for One (04:12)
I'm walking down in the basement
I'm leaning on the washing machine
I'm reaching back through a hole in the wall's insulation
I'm pulling out a bottle of vodka
Replacing that with a pint of Jim Bean
I'm lying down on the floor until I feel better
It's morning and I pour myself coffee
I drink it til the kitchen stops shaking
I'm backing out of the driveway
And into creation
And the loving spirit that follows me
Watching helplessly, will always forgive me
Oh, I want to die alone
With my sympathy beside me
I want to bring down all those demons who drank with me
Feasting bleed through me
On my desperation
I hide all the bottles in places
They find and confront me with pain in their eyes
And I promise that I'll make some changes
But reaching back it occurs to me
There will always be some kind of crisis for me
Oh, I want to die alone
With my sympathy beside me
I want to bring back all those moments they stole from me
In my reverie
Darkening days end
Oh, I want to die alone
With my memories inside me
I want to live that life
When I could say people had faith in me
I still see that guy in my memory
Oh, I want to die alone
With my sympathy beside me
I want to bring down all those people who drank with me
Watching happily
My humiliation
12 Lost Tonight (04:02)
Yeah, got a pretty young face
And a pretty old soul, got a pretty old soul
And yeah, you know you've got what it takes
But you're never too cold, you're never too cold
And I want to get lost tonight with you
Let me know if it's alright that I do
Cause I want to get lost tonight with you
What you've got is what i'm running to
Yeah, you've heard it all before
But this time it's true, this time it's true
Yeah, I'm not that kind of girl
But I could be for you, I could be for you
And I want to get lost tonight with you
Let me know if it's alright that I do
Cause I want to get lost tonight with you
What you've got is what I'm running to
Wouldn't you know there's a blackout tonight
We're stuck here with nothing to do
But lean out the window and find paradise
We've both got nothing to lose
And I want to get lost tonight with you
Let me know if it's alright if I do
Cause I want to get lost tonight with you
What you've got is what I'm running to
14 Giving It All to You (03:44)
They can say what they want
But I don't hear thing cause
They can't read my thoughts
Or the secrets between
All of this time you where apart of me
Shining like a star in my galaxy
And I reach out trusting you there
Its like walking on a high wire into thin air
And I'm waking up to the dream
Its like bouncing so high on a trampoline
And I know that there's one thing
Between me and nothing
Baby, you are that one thing that pulls me through
So I'm giving it all to you
Giving it all to you
Could it be you and me
Can't stop thinking about
All of the crazy possibilities
I don't want to keep my feelings locked inside
Everytime I see you you just blow my mind
And I reach out trusting you there
Its like walking on a high wire into thin air
And I'm waking up to the dream
Its like bouncing so high on a trampoline
And I know that there's one thing
Between me and nothing
Baby, you are that one thing that pulls me through
So I'm giving it all to you
I'm giving it
Others have tried to get to me
But I see through them eventually
Cause your the only one that I wanna be with
I'm giving it all to you
I'm giving it all
Everytime I see you all my systems align
You explode on my just like a metorite
And I reach out trusting you there
Its like walking on a high wire into thin air
And I'm waking up to the dream
Its like bouncing so high on a trampoline
And I know that there's one thing
Between me and nothing
Baby, you are that one thing that pulls me through
So I'm giving it all to you
I know that there's one thing
I know that there's one thing
Baby you are that something that pulls me trough
So I'm giving it all to you
Giving it all to you
Could it be you and me
Can't stop thinking about
All of the crazy possibilities
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