Phair’s flair for pop tunes is no excuse for blah lyrics

T H E D A I LY D I S C L i z P h a i r • S o m e b o d y’ s M i r a c l e ( C a p i t o l / E M I )

There’s a certain nobility in Liz Phair’s refusal to run back to the fringes after her bid for mainstream success was met with a shower of bullets from her indie following. Those unimpressed with her Avril make-over on 2003’ s self-titled album won’t be any more taken with her Sheryl Crow mimicry here, but a new talent without Phair’s baggage would be praised for armour- plated melodies such as Stars and Planets or Giving It All to You. Still, her talent for sugary pop hooks doesn’t excuse such white-bread lyrics from someone who used to brandish her pen like a switchblade; Count on My Love crams so many clichés into 31⁄ 2 minutes it would be hysterical if it weren’t so disheartening.