328 - Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville

[csberry]

There was a HUGE wave of hype that preceded the release of Exile in Guyville. I found it quite off-putting at the time and I considered much of the hype to be founded on Liz's looks and outlandish interviews she would give. I gave her credit for knowing how to use her natural resources to gather attention, but I did not care for the album.

I'm glad for the opportunity to revisit the album. With the taste of all of that hype off of my palate, listening to Exile in Guyville was more pleasurable this time. I can hear some of what put me off before. Her feminist-macho image is very much a part of these lyrics. Liz talks about her sex life and abilities in a way a preening teen boy would. That is liberating and annoying at the same time for me. There are times that the lyrics just had me convinced that I was hearing satire and other times I thought I was getting a peek into that slutty girl's thoughts. This quandary of the earnestness or wittiness of these lyrics and Liz's public image annoyed me then and still kept stepping into the picture during my listens.

I have enjoyed listening to many of the songs on Whip-Smart and whitechocolatespaceegg (JD owns and loves both) through the years. This album isn't as far off in its sound as I had made myself to believe. The tone of the lyrics changed through the years, but the essential sound of Liz Phair is fairly consistent through those three albums.

Songs I knew I liked: "Never Said"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "6'1"," "F*ck & Run," and "Flower"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: I wouldn't miss any of the other tracks, but I wouldn't protest to someone putting the album on now.