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Under Rug Swept - Alanis Morissette
Metascore
61 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 20
  3. Negative: 4 out of 20
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  1. Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
    91
    Even when the forced pronunciations turn gauche, she remains a good egg who's not afraid to put herself on the line.
  2. Billboard
    90
    Although 2002 is still young, consider Under Rug Swept one of the year's best.
  3. Blender
    80
    Is Under Rug Swept as good as Jagged Little Pill? Ultimately, no. [Feb/Mar 2002, p.108]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. All Music Guide
    80
    The music flows, the production doesn't overplay its hand, it's pleasingly melodic, tempering tempers the extremities of Jagged Little Pill while retaining the character and, as such, it's easy to groove on the sound without listening to the words.
  5. Q Magazine
    80
    With its uncomfortable candour, Under Rug Swept is a serious business.
  6. L.A. Weekly
    80
    Under Rug Swept is Alanis Morissette in top form, exercising her God-given right to vent and sound beautiful doing so.
  7. Playlouder
    70
    The good news is that despite the excess verbiage (which at least is hardly a shock), this is a Good Album.
  8. Dot Music
    70
    Alanis is back on course and heading in the right direction.
  9. Spin
    70
    The processed guitar-based tracks on Rug don't quite rollick or shimmer, but with Alanis it's the lyrics, not the music, that count. [Apr 2002, p.114]
    All this publication's reviews
  10. E! Online
    67
    Her stream-of-conscious lyrics about self-esteem and troubled relationships are just more of the same medicine that went down better with 1995's Jagged Little Pill.
  11. Rolling Stone
    60
    Under Rug Swept just about drowns in psychobabble.
  12. CDNow
    60
    As the disc progresses, her caustic diatribes against men get harder to take.
  13. Mojo
    60
    Astonishingly, her own production makes much of this guff zing along with dirty guitars or big drum beats and improbably insinuating choruses. [Apr 2002, p.100]
    All this publication's reviews
  14. Entertainment Weekly
    58
    The album's garbled title is preparation for some of the clumsiest lyrics to be heard on a pop record in years.
  15. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    40
    Morissette seems unwilling to step into unfamiliar territory.
  16. The A.V. Club
    40
    Her personal revelations too often ring false and crass, and nothing undermines a confession like calculation.
  17. New Musical Express (NME)
    30
    This record moves way beyond armchair psychology - in fact, there are armchairs that have a cannier grasp of the mind.
  18. Uncut
    30
    Chiefly consists of lumpen and joyless AOR rock, with a few rhythm loops to give an illusion of modernity. [Apr 2002, p.104]
    All this publication's reviews
  19. Salon.com
    30
    Time and again she comes across as the glum, joyless, self-centered sophomore with the dog-eared copy of "The Bell Jar" in her Hello Kitty backpack.
  20. Village Voice
    30
    I'm just not sure that pop music should come out of a thesaurus.
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.8 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 33
  3. Negative: 1 out of 33
  1. ixat
    10
    upon first listen, most listeners may thnk that this album.. well.. kinda sucks... honestly, i did thnk of it that way.. i almost felt regretful of buyin this album and wanted to omit Alanis from my 'top 5 favorite artist list'.. but i listened to it the 2nd time, with an headphone with great sound system(:p), laying on my bed.... it's brilliant. the opening track, 21 Things I Want In A Lover, isa catchy tune that really gives you what the whole album is about... this is followed by Narcissus, a kinda odd number for Alanis, very pop, but still good. then comes the 3rd track, Hands Clean, the hit. Hands Clean doesn't sound very rock-ish, but very enjoyable and catchy, and when you go down beneath the surface, you'll find that this song is more than just a catchy tune. Another recommended track, Surrendering, is quite dancy. great! While the last song, Utopia, is a very sensitive, moody yet catchy tune.. A Man may sound trashy at first listen, but is actually one of the best tracks. Very dark, yet powerful. A highly recommended album.… Full Review »
  2. miss_unafraid
    9
    I've always felt that Alanis Morissette took herself too serious, like she wanted to prove something to the audience, to be more than she actually was. I was never a fan before, although I liked and appreciated some of her songs. But I love this album, it's less rigid and it gives me a positive energy. I love the singles, the song that opens the album ("21 Things...") is amazing and contagious, "Flinch" is brilliant. The more I listen to Under Rug Swept, the more I like it. Every song is a grower!… Full Review »
  3. gagaforever
    10
    An amazing album. At first I didn't like it but with a third listen...I was taken by the lyrics and the songs. "Hands Clean" is the best track ont he album… Full Review »
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