27 years on from the release of ‘Jagged Little Pill’ – an essential 90s post-grunge record that sold copies in the millions – Canadian Alanis Morissette returns with 2022 meditation record ‘The Storm Before the Calm'.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Alanis said, “all I knew is that I wanted to write a record that would offer something, and throughout the process of creating with Dave Harrington, beautifully and mercifully, it became its own multi-layered life raft during a time where I felt like I might disappear and float away”.
Alanis’s flair for lyricism is, arguably, what helms the acclamation she has received over the last 30 years. It may then come as surprise that this album is nearly entirely instrumental.
Across its 11 tracks, ‘the storm before the calm’ invites listeners on an introspective journey. Although without lyrics, Alanis’s knack for words is present in each of the track titles, displaying honesty and awareness with names like ‘explore – the other side of stillness’, ‘purification – alchemical crunch’ and ‘awakening – in between thoughts’.
Album opener ‘light – the lightworkers lament’, certainly gives the feel for the record. A gentle, arresting blend of haunting vocal cries heard over three piano chords that ties in with symbols and electronic strings.
The record is claustrophobic in a sense, but in the best way possible. It traps listeners in whilst still allowing for moments of concord and tranquillity. This is expressed in sixth track, ‘restore – calling generation X’, where we hear a synth loop that gently bleeds into a pitter patter of drums and rises into something that sounds almost tribal.
The gentle moments of serenity are certainly plentiful and enough to make the hearts of yogis across the world sing. Yet penultimate track ‘mania- resting in the fire’ is, as its title suggest, a high energy, ferocious concoction of heavy drums snares, sonic composition and electric guitar.
‘Vapor – amplified in stillness’, the closing track on this deeply ambient gift of meditation music, again offers a layered blend of instruments that lead to an isolated synth, allowing a final moment for listeners to feel whatever emotion that may arrive.
It may be an unexpected project from one of the worlds much loved vocalists, but ‘the calm before the storm’ is proof that Alanis Morissette offers more than catchy melodies, clever lyricism and reminding us how “life has a funny way of helping you out when you think everything’s gone wrong”, she is an artist who exhibits genius musicianship and knows exactly the right way to evoke emotion.
7/10
Words: Isabella Miller
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