Havoc and Bright Lights
by Alanis Morissette
  • Record Label: Columbia
  • Release Date: Aug 28, 2012
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 54 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 54
  3. Negative: 7 out of 54
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. AloudSound
    Sep 1, 2012
    8
    "With its more radio-friendly beats, experimental trance, complex lyrical content and softer tone music, its truly good enough to say that its a great welcome back to Mrs. Morissette"
  2. doc2be
    Aug 31, 2012
    8
    Excellent album. Such introspective and thoughtful lyrics and music. Such an underrated artist which is disappointing given the wonderful music. Definitely not mainstream pop music which makes it unpalatable to the Pitbull lovers and radio I suppose. Recommended if you love music.
  3. MissEighties
    Dec 16, 2012
    7
    My expectations for this album were quite low because I'm a fan of "Jagged Little Pill" and that's about it. Turns out that "Havoc and Bright Lights" is one of the best she did. Not a fan of her smooth songs but loving the Alternative-Angry-Rock-like-Alanis-can-do "Numb" and "Celebrity". An album I played more often then I would've thought since it's been released, it has to be goodMy expectations for this album were quite low because I'm a fan of "Jagged Little Pill" and that's about it. Turns out that "Havoc and Bright Lights" is one of the best she did. Not a fan of her smooth songs but loving the Alternative-Angry-Rock-like-Alanis-can-do "Numb" and "Celebrity". An album I played more often then I would've thought since it's been released, it has to be good otherwise I wouldn't listen to it. One of her best!… Expand
  4. nick4bty
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    This album couldn't better paint Alanis' life at the moment. There are so many fantastic moments in this album that it almost takes the knife out of the four-year-wait-cake. We are served a full album filled with sonically-brilliant moments and true pieces of pop art. As an artist, Alanis never fails to express herself in beautiful ways. Listening to the music offers music ingenuity, butThis album couldn't better paint Alanis' life at the moment. There are so many fantastic moments in this album that it almost takes the knife out of the four-year-wait-cake. We are served a full album filled with sonically-brilliant moments and true pieces of pop art. As an artist, Alanis never fails to express herself in beautiful ways. Listening to the music offers music ingenuity, but reading the lyrics and truly understanding each song and what it stands for is how you can get the most out of this album. Everything about it clicks. 17 years since Jagged Little Pill, and still on top of her game. Havoc and Bright Lights is easily one of her best works to date.… Expand
  5. Foxmodem
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    this is easily one of Alanis Morissette's finest albums, proving that you don't have to be miserable or depressed to be inspired to create art. It's already trite to compare her albums to Jagged Little Pill, so I will just compare this to her previous "happy" album, So-Called Chaos. While SCC struggled to find words, rhythm, and coherence to describe that so-called happiness, the songs ofthis is easily one of Alanis Morissette's finest albums, proving that you don't have to be miserable or depressed to be inspired to create art. It's already trite to compare her albums to Jagged Little Pill, so I will just compare this to her previous "happy" album, So-Called Chaos. While SCC struggled to find words, rhythm, and coherence to describe that so-called happiness, the songs of Havoc and Bright Lights show clarity and genuine joy both in lyrics and melody. Lots of potential radio hits here: Receive, Empathy, Spiral, Win and Win, Woman Down. If there's an album that should propel her back to the charts and awards shows this would be it.… Expand
  6. vane1902
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    I love the album is cool super coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool, i love alanis morisettte is coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool and i love you
  7. rquinteroa25
    Oct 5, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Havoc and Bright lights is full of spiritual point of view and meditation about how to watch our life inside each person and not out of the person. I really love this album, based upon the lyrics. Some songs have good music, but others have been so soft if we compare it to what Alanis has recorded before. It is an album that is connected to the person and the environment where the person is. We can't love it if we pretend to listen to it as a normal-simple-common person.… Expand
  8. federicobenny
    Aug 30, 2012
    9
    Not the masterpiece I've been waiting for, but still a good album with a fresh (for Alanis' music), well made and well produced sound, which makes "Havoc and Bright Lights" a good "sequel" of "Flavors of Entanglement".
  9. Felipecritic
    Oct 23, 2017
    8
    Lindo CD, com o super lead single "Guardian". Esse álbum é super bem produzido e com lindas melodias complementadas pelo instrumental. Um trabalho superior aos últimos 2 de Alanis Morrissette.
  10. hchow
    Aug 15, 2020
    10
    An album that leads the former symbol of teenage angst into the adult contemporary territory.

    An album led and opened by the sweet motherhood anthem "Guardian", Havoc and Bright Lights is a collection of tunes that show Alanis Morissette's growth both as a human being and as a musician. Gone were the days of the angry pop-rocker struggling to contain her emotions, here comes the mature    An album that leads the former symbol of teenage angst into the adult contemporary territory.

    An album led and opened by the sweet motherhood anthem "Guardian", Havoc and Bright Lights is a collection of tunes that show Alanis Morissette's growth both as a human being and as a musician. Gone were the days of the angry pop-rocker struggling to contain her emotions, here comes the mature adult dealing with issues.

    To many, the standout was perhaps the feminist "Woman Down", which reminds us of the fact that women make us who we are today. Every one of us.

    But to me, the standout was "Lens". Through the motif of religion, as can also be seen from the low-budget music video, the tune was about personal relationships and the conflict between the 2 parts of a couple fundamentally based on their personal ideologies and thoughts, not dissimilar to her last lead single, "Underneath".    … Expand
  11. clarinhaaa
    Nov 22, 2021
    10
    Alanis Morissette goes a little more experimental here and it works thanks to her cleverness and great voice
  12. RoxanneKimberly
    Nov 24, 2021
    10
    Alanis Morissette goes for more traditional songs here and the results are great as usual
  13. EstellaKimberly
    Nov 25, 2021
    10
    I love the introspective lyrics here, Alanis Morissette's voice is also another great weapon to make this album amazing
  14. brubruzinha
    Nov 25, 2021
    10
    Alanis Morissette goes more soft here, this album reminds me a little bit of SFIJ and is almost as good

Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Most Discussed Album of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
55

Mixed or average reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 17
  3. Negative: 3 out of 17
  1. Uncut
    Sep 14, 2012
    40
    Mostly, though, Morrisette succumbs to her dual predilections for quasi-spirituality and stultifying sappiness. [Oct 2012, p.84]
  2. American Songwriter
    Sep 5, 2012
    70
    Morissette's poetic discourse of intimately describing her feelings still abounds, but is elegantly emoted here with cool restraint.
    Read full review
  3. PopMatters
    Aug 30, 2012
    50
    While it may be a difficult task to get through all 12 psycho-babble-filled tune on havoc, it's not entirely a wash or without merit. Ultimately, if you're not into hearing someone use their artistic expression to vent their frustrations and contemplate fairly uneducated meanderings on the current social state, or you're not struggling with your own identity lacking the mental capacity to understand your surroundings, you need not apply.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »