• Record Label: Capitol
  • Release Date: Oct 4, 2005
User Score
6.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 42 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 42
  2. Negative: 13 out of 42

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  1. ryan
    Oct 5, 2005
    10
    great
  2. Matt
    Oct 5, 2005
    10
    Tied for her best album! Only Exile In Guyville matches it. It's a perfect combination of her pop sound with other styles of music she likes.
  3. Mike
    Oct 13, 2005
    0
    I was so looking forward to this one and am SO disappointed. It is boring and totally BLAH.
  4. Patricia
    Oct 31, 2005
    8
    She's done better!
  5. LevisO
    Oct 3, 2005
    8
    A massive improvement on the self titled. Still not up there with Guyville nor wcse but a great album. Welcome back, Liz.
  6. JasonK
    Oct 4, 2005
    10
    Beautiful crafty Album
  7. JjKelle
    Oct 4, 2005
    9
    I great album and a huge step up from the self-titled. This is the Liz Phair I fell in love with.
  8. KatieW
    Oct 4, 2005
    4
    People might like this album only becuase it is Liz Phair. Or people might hate this album only becuase it is Liz Phair. If you take her name off the album and just judge it sonically, the ablum is subpar. Mediocore at best. The vocals can not stand up to the way to glossy production. It sounds very run of the mill.
  9. [Anonymous]
    Oct 4, 2005
    0
    awful
  10. ChrisG
    Oct 5, 2005
    6
    Sinking further into mediocrity
  11. sloopjb
    Oct 5, 2005
    1
    you effed up big time gurl.
  12. dan
    Oct 5, 2005
    10
    classic liz!
  13. AdrianoC
    Jan 10, 2006
    9
    It gets better with each new listen. She sounds much more comfortable than on her last album. To me, this is a transitional album - far from the Avril-like songs, going back to her best chick-with-a-guitar-and-good-lyrics moments. The John Shanks-produced numbers ("Count on my love", "Everything to me") are filler, but "Wind and the mountain", "Table for one", "Somebody's miracle" It gets better with each new listen. She sounds much more comfortable than on her last album. To me, this is a transitional album - far from the Avril-like songs, going back to her best chick-with-a-guitar-and-good-lyrics moments. The John Shanks-produced numbers ("Count on my love", "Everything to me") are filler, but "Wind and the mountain", "Table for one", "Somebody's miracle" and "Everything (between us)", among others, are simply amazing. Expand
  14. Ethan
    Oct 16, 2005
    9
    Why are critics so intent on Liz having to sound like the records of her past? Perhaps she has evolved into something a bit more "commercial" because she wants to and that is a GOOD thing. This album has a consistent engaging chord arrangements and - god forbid - some pop & rock hooks. Guess what folks - It works! A great album.
  15. PattyH
    Oct 25, 2005
    3
    This album is so vanilla. Anyone could sing these songs. Nothing memorable whatsovever.
  16. Stevek
    Oct 26, 2005
    9
    Long time Liz fan, not impressed on the first listen, but the album really grows on you. It's absurd that so many reviewers review to the album as banal and dull, it's fun and somewhat poppy, but more banal than the rest of what's out there??? i don't think so. Good album, buy it and enjoy it.
  17. Allie
    Oct 30, 2005
    9
    you have to listen to this cd a time or two--and do so with the lyrics. Got My Own Thing is an instant classic. on others: the first time i head Wind and Mountain i hated it. But listen carefully--it, is more complex than you think.
  18. mikes
    Oct 4, 2005
    9
    A solid effort! Much better than the self titled.
  19. MattB
    Oct 4, 2005
    8
    It's still Liz.. and she's always going to be great.. But it is a very "nice" album.. It's not amazing. There are some very good songs .. but she's someone else now and i'm not gonna crucify her for her ... amazing writing in the past.
  20. michael
    Oct 4, 2005
    10
    a return to the fine form found on whitechocolatespaceegg.
  21. JustinN
    Jul 5, 2009
    3
    Liz Phair the self-titled album alienated most of her fans. Now she's decided to mix the quieter moments of her old album with whitechocolatespaceegg(her third album) and Sheryl Crow and this is dull and stale. At least Table For One's lyrics are awesome.
  22. Dreampop
    Oct 12, 2005
    0
    It's simple Exile in Guyville 10 Whipsmart 10 Whitechocolatespaceegg 4 Self titled CD 0 Somebodys Miracle 0
  23. JenniferP
    Oct 16, 2005
    10
    This is such a great record. I liked Why Can't I Breathe but never bought a Liz Phair album before. Then I heard Everything To Me and decided to buy this album it is great!!!
  24. BradT
    Oct 16, 2005
    10
    I'm totally digging the new Liz Phair. How can anyone in his or her right mind give this a zero? You've gotta be an airhead if you have been as long a fan as I have since the early, early days of Girlysounds. Come on, there are some really cool and classic Liz songs on here. There is some weak filler stuff but I can even listen to those songs because it adds to the anticipation I'm totally digging the new Liz Phair. How can anyone in his or her right mind give this a zero? You've gotta be an airhead if you have been as long a fan as I have since the early, early days of Girlysounds. Come on, there are some really cool and classic Liz songs on here. There is some weak filler stuff but I can even listen to those songs because it adds to the anticipation feeling I get waiting for songs like Got My Own Thing, Wind and the Mountain, Why I Lie, Everything (Between Us), Giving it All, Leap of Innocence, Table for One, Closer to You and if you have the extra of Can't Get out of what I'm into. I listen to the whole album and have grown to like it as much as any Liz Phair album. It is far from zero material. At it's worst is still probably more like a 5 without the songs mentioned above. Expand
  25. othos
    Nov 24, 2005
    5
    Having been charmed by her in a restaurant where I met her while she lived in Chicago and having loved the first three CDs, I can't totally bash Liz. I know she needs to make a living. The irony is that the last two records of pabulum haven't sold much better than the first three. What's the point of selling out if you aren't selling?
  26. May 15, 2018
    0
    the only thing i can actually say about this is... this is really bad, really crap
  27. Aug 5, 2022
    9
    This album is so good. "Leap Of Innocence" and "Everything (Between Us) are 2 of her best songs.
Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 18
  2. Negative: 3 out of 18
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    67
    Phair sounds mostly bored. [7 Oct 2005, p.76]
  2. Los Angeles Times
    63
    [It] isn't a miracle by a long shot, but the highlights show signs of a once-valuable artist trying to reset her creative compass. [2 Oct 2005]
  3. Now this is a terrible Liz Phair record.