By PENNI MALAKATES
Staff Writer
 

Five years have passed since Phair's last release (Whipsmart, 1994), and in that time Phair married and gave birth to a son. Now she's back with whitechocolatespaceegg, her long-awaited third full-length album. In true Phair fashion, Liz continues to open her heart and mind to us through her autobiographical and candid lyrics. Since her life now seems to revolve around two men, her husband and son, many of the songs on whitechocolatespaceegg describe and ponder motherhood and the dynamics of her marital relationship. (Coincidentally, it has been rumored that her son's bald head may have provided the inspiration for the album's title.)

While listening towhitechocolatespaceegg , one gets a feel for the many different sides of Phair's personality. We see the new mother, the wildly sexual woman, and the tumultuous riot grrl teenager. However, whitechocolatespaceegg remains an accessible album- most of the softer tracks feel as if Phair herself were sitting in the same room singing you a little story. Her guitar squeaks with every fret change and her voice takes on her trademark conversational singing tone. Some of the harder, more upbeat songs feel slightly reminiscent of Phair's Exile in Guyville days, with a little more playfulness and pop. Despite this pseudo-bubble gum sound, Phair's lyrics do not fail to provide us with enough dry humor and curtness to keep the songs from drifting off.

whitechocolatespaceegg explores marriage and life with a new baby. With the song "Go on Ahead," Phair admits the pressures of a new baby on the marriage. ("One night is lovely, the next is brutal/And you and I are way in over our heads with this one") Phair does maintain a firm belief in the strength of their marital bond with the simple promise of " I believe we have things to do/ I believe in myself, and I believe in you."

However, just because Phair writes about her marriage and son with such care and love, does not mean that she has lost her flare for expressing her desire for sexual danger. With songs like, "Love is Nothing," "Johnny Feelgood," and "Ride," Phair reminds us that she likes to be pushed around now and again. In "Ride," she croons, "sticks and stones can break my bones/ and boys can make me kick and moan..."

Perhaps most interesting are the songs in which Phair seems to sort through her premarital/pre-baby past. In "Polyester Bride," Phair, through the character of a bartending friend, asks her rebellious teenage self , "Do you want to be a polyester bride?/Do you want to hang your head and die?.../ Do you want to flap you wings and fly away from here?" In "What Makes You Happy," Phair plays the role of a girl trying to convince her mom of a new relationship, swearing that, "this one is going to last and all those other bastards/ were only practice."

This album is pure truth. Phair lays everything out on the table and leaves the rest up to the listener. For veteran Phair fans as well as first-time listeners, this album offers catchy, upbeat tunes as well as blunt yet sincere lyrics. The songs on this album represent the work and heart of an amazing woman who does not disappoint her listeners. Such an expressive album leaves us wanting more, but unfortunately we'll all have to wait it out.

One consolation is that the songs get better with every spin - each time you catch another intriguing lyric or little loop. As with her other albums, listening to it once is never enough.