Morissette remains vibrant on ‘Chaos’

Alanis Morissette

“So-Called Chaos” (Maverick) •••

It’s hard to believe, but Alanis Morissette is about to turn 30. She’s always been hard to pigeonhole by age; she seemed well beyond her years — and her peers — in wit and intellect when she burst onto the world with 1995’s landmark “Jagged Little Pill,” yet she engaged in a very youthful brand of self-analysis.

That vibrant contradiction remains on her third new studio album since “Pill.” The trademarks — the eccentric syntax, the rush of words, the affection for repetition — are as prominent as ever. The music could stand more eccentricity, though; after the relatively flat, self-produced 2002 album “Under Rug Swept,” she has a new co-producer in John Shanks, but he too often employs tricks he’s already used with female artists from Sheryl Crow to Hilary Duff.

“Excuses,” with roiling, Zeppelin-esque Indian/Middle Eastern modality, recalls the majestic swell of Morissette’s 1998 song “Uninvited.” “Knees of My Bees,” with prominent sitar, captures the joyous abandon of love. May her abandon and eccentricities remain ageless, however old she may be.

— Steve Hochman, Los Angeles Times

Montgomery Gentry

“You Do Your Thing” (Columbia) •••

Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry just might be on to something here: Ask the guys who wrote the songs you’re recording to produce them. It’s a bold, anti-Nashville approach to album-making.

In all, five producers were involved in the making of this album, and the result is an improved Montgomery Gentry sound. Lyrics are delivered more convincingly, production gimmicks are held to a minimum, and Montgomery’s and Gentry’s voices have never sounded better.

These guys know their audience well (think NASCAR dads and Harley owners), and on “You Do Your Thing” they again give it plenty of what it demands: no-nonsense, testosterone-fueled Southern rock.

— Greg Crawford, Detroit Free Press

Method Man

“Tical O: The Prequel” (Def Jam) ••

Method Man is the nine-member Wu-Tang Clan’s biggest solo act and its thuggish sex symbol, thanks to his ability to balance witty raps that satisfy hard-core hip-hop followers and pseudo-love songs whose street-level look at romance speaks to female fans.

On his third album, Method Man goes for the same mix, with uneven results. The sinister yet sensuous “Say What” and the spooky “The Turn” show his lyrical and stylistic range.

But when the beats and choruses lack the edgy spunk that marks Method Man’s best work he goes on cruise control. There’s a sense of urgency when he is inspired by the production backing him, but when the beats coast along without much flair, Method Man does the same.

— Soren Baker, Los Angeles Times

Morrissey

“You Are the Quarry” (Attack/Sanctuary) •••

Remember Morrissey? Sad to say that vocalist Steven Morrissey has faded from many minds, his career as a solo artist mostly a massive letdown after he made an indelible impression in the Smiths, arguably the most important British rock band to emerge in the ‘80s.

“You Are the Quarry,” Morrissey’s first recording in almost seven years and his best since his 1988 solo debut “Viva Hate,” proves that he’s still very much alive and kicking — and as witty, morose and heartbroken as ever.

“Monday — humiliation/Tuesday — suffocation/Wednesday — condescension/Thursday — is just pathetic/By Friday — life has killed me,” he sings with cathartic emotion on “I Have Forgiven Jesus,” bringing back the glory days of the Smiths’ classic “How Soon Is Now?” and making self-absorption and depression quite cool again.

— Martin Bandyke, Detroit Free Press