Liz Phair - Somebody's Miracle

After shocking longtime fans with her slickly produced, radio-ready self-titled album, singer/songwriter Liz Phair took a tiny step back towards her indie-rock roots on 2005's Somebody's Miracle, bringing a few new younger fans along with her. Phair sounds a bit more like her 1990s persona here, with her vocals charmingly off-key at times. However, anyone expecting a grand return to EXILE IN GUYVILLE will be sorely disappointed; although Miracle has less of a blindingly bright pop sheen than its immediate predecessor, Phair stays the mainstream course by crafting another set of infectiously catchy, teen-friendly anthems. In fact, almost every tune on Miracle--from the soaring title track to the spare, melancholy "Table for One"--expertly taps into feelings of adolescent yearning and frustration. While it's unlikely that Somebody's Miracle will win back very many older fans, Phair seems perfectly happy with her new audience, and that shows on every track of this headstrong, confident record.