If you want cliched, derivative pop songs, buy an Avril Lavigne album. Buy a Britney Spears album. Don't buy this. If she's willing to alienate all her fans of her 90's output by releasing a record like this she doesn't deserve to win new ones, quite frankly. Imagine if Radiohead released an N*Sync album after "OK Computer". Would any of their fans still be buying their records today?… Expand

As Jackie S. said, there is nothing wrong with pop music, but there is something wrong with bad pop music. Unfortunately, most of this is pretty bad. It's like Avril Lavigne without the hooks, killer production, and this may be hard to believe, the depth. Tries to hard to be "edgy" and "adult." I mean, a song like "HWC"? What's the point? Silly.

Yes, I'm one of the "naysayers" who's to include an "Exile in Guyville" mention because...hello...it's relevant! Liz Phair made quite a historical entrance into the music world with her raw, sexy style of singing and uninhibited, poignant lyrics on "Exile". Each album that followed was a stumbling progression towards pop, ending with this Matrix-produced-cookie-cutter-pop album. I'm not going to condemn Liz for "going pop" or "selling out". But if she's going to go pop, at least make it good pop. And it's not even close. The music is lackluster. The lyrics lack any depth whatsoever. And where the use of sex in "Exile" was bold and clever, on this album it's simply gratuitous and obtuse. Good riddens, Liz.… Expand

It's just sad that Liz feels she needs to make a bid for commercial acceptance. I dug her written response to the NY Times critique of "Liz Phair" -- she's still a perceptive, clever woman with a lot to say; it's just that this album is ridiculous. She don't need no stinkin' Matrix. Get back, Liz. (and "H.W.C."? She's ridiculing her own propensity for honestly talking about desire, which was one of the freshest things about "Exile in Guyville")… Expand

Bland and irrelevant. This album is so lacking in passion, inventiveness and integrity, it actually makes her other albums seem worse in retrospect, since we now know what she was leading up to all along -- non-music for hollow people.

this album sucks. period.

I remember seeing Liz when she toured with Cat Power years ago and they were both simply awesome. After hearing this album I was really disappointed, but I feel a lot of the very negative reviews are a bit unfair. Its a decent pop album but it just doesnt compare to her earlier albums, especially not with Exile in Guyville which is a classic. Maybe if she stayed with indie label Matador and not gone to a big corporate record label, she might still be up there with Cat Power as the best female singer-songwriters. Who knows?!… Expand

What a superficial album! The music and vocals are so glossy and overproduced, they're lifeless. The lyrics are lame and predictable. These are the kind of songs you'd expect from a 16 yr old who's just starting out, not an almost 40 yr old who should be able to write with more intelligence and maturity. Liz obviously wants to appeal to the teenyboppers who love Avril. Which means dumbing everything down and making the songs as bland and accessible to the masses as possible. Shame on you Liz.… Expand

Download the Internet EP if you want to know what the real Liz Phair sounds like (smart, honest, totally weird) -- the album proper is a conceited effort to appear as stupid and normal as the audience she's targeting. Boooooring.

I agree with Christine R. Liz has lost her mind. That's the only explanation I have for this CD. I'm not a die-hard Liz fan. I do enjoy her older CDs - but times have changed and Liz has declared that all she wants is money, and lots of it. She's not interested in saying something meaningful, or making something of substance. All she wants is guranteed radio-airplay and has dumbed-down her lyrics, her music and herself to get it. For instance, "Why Can't I?" and "Red Light Fever" boast embarrassing lyrics that have all the cloying honesty of a 10 yr-old girls' crush on her swimming instructor. Liz, what happened to you? Also, I know she's always had 'explicit lyrics', but the sticker is bigger than her friggin' name for frig sake. She's also making a "clean version" of the album available - just to make sure the K-Wal-Marts will carry it too. This is just plain WRONG. I'm all for Liz making a living out of her music. However, I cannot support her shameful attempt to grab cash and spit on her old fans, looking to be the next teenybopper breakout. She's too old to compete with the youthful image of Lavigne and co. and the old albums sound too different to attract younger buyers. This is not an album, it's totally superficial Product. Before the album was out, I heard "Why Can't I?" recently on the MUZAK system in a local mall. That pretty much says it all.… Expand

You need know no more than that one of the songs on this piece of crap is entitled 'HWC'. That stands for 'hot white cum', and in the song [I am not kidding] Liz goes on at length about the benefits of her man's sperm on her complexion. Liz gave a clue that this garbage was coming on her last album when she said "you've got to have shitloads of m-o-n-e-y, money"

Terrible, bad, bad!! The only positive thing about this album is reading all of the hilarously scathing reviews.

Let me start by saying that even after 10 years I still pull out "Exile" and listen to it. It is that good. "Whipsmart" is not far behind it, and I still pull it out from time to time as well. However, I haven't listened to "whitechocolatespaceegg" in forever, and I can tell that after about 1 month, Liz Phair's latest will also be collecting dust on my shelf. I had a feeling that I was going to be disappointed after hearing the first single off the album, "Why Can't I", which did not even remotely resemble anything Phair had ever done before, but I was willing to give her my money, mostly out of past loyalty, and I don't completely regret it. There is at least one memorable song on the album......"Little Digger" and a few catchy tunes that I am ashamed to admit have gotten stuck in my head, but now that Liz has made her first truly forgettable pop album, can we conclude this experiment, please!! Liz, don't walk into the light. Stay away from the light! Come back to the dark side. You're needed here. We already have a world filled with Avril's, Michelle's, and Kelly's, but there was only one Liz Phair, and I am sorry to say that she is missing in action.… Expand

any singer (i think i stressed that right) who is affiliated with the Matrix will evidently have a sound much like avril lavigne. this is no different either. the new generation will spawn a wave of avril impersonators, more bubblegum pop singers and numetal bands. stay away from this album. ugh!

Ok i'll admit...pop fans should like it. It has catchy songs. But Liz Phair used to have depth and she used to be interesting. Now she sounds like Avril Lavigne. She also doesn't have the chops to sing these kind of songs. Okay, i'm an indie kid but I have no problem with her becoming commercial. I just wish she would've brought her personality to the charts. Oh and not worked with the matrix.… Expand

What a superficial album! The music and vocals are so glossy and overproduced, they're lifeless. The lyrics are lame and predictable. These are the kind of songs you'd expect from a 16 yr old who's just starting out, not an almost 40 yr old who should be able to write with more intelligence and maturity. Liz obviously wants to appeal to the teenyboppers who love Avril. Which means dumbing everything down and making the songs as bland and accessible to the masses as possible. Shame on you Liz.… Expand

With words from the movie Spinal Tap, this CD is "Shit Sandwich".

OK, I gave this album a chance. I don't hold Phair to Exile In Guyville standards anymore, and I still found this album painfully dull. It's so bland, except for the forced, awkward vulgarity and X-Box reference. It's not that she sold out, the albums not even good disposable pop. I honestly think Avril Lavigne writes better pop songs than"Why Can't I." It's too bad. This album is probably a 3, but I gave it a 1 because I was so disappointed and expected better from Phair, even for radio-friendly pop.… Expand

There has never been a CD more destined for the $2 Used for-sale rack. What a complete disaster...Its like Pearl Jam or Fugazi teaming up with Backstreet Boys. It was too funny reading the moron who wrote that this was the next Ok Computer. High Comedy for sure! Liz needs to take a page out of Pavement's history and see that if people aren't digging your stuff, its better to quit than to sell(out) this slop. HWC for sure.… Expand