Alanis Morissette’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’ is an album that defined a generation and it’s gone down in history as one of the greatest albums ever made. Selling a staggering 33 million copies worldwide following its release in 1995, it was always going to be a thankless task for Morissette to step out of its large shadow with her follow-up record. Arriving three years after ‘Jagged Little Pill’, ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’ may have topped the charts in the US but its sales were a fraction of its predecessor’s. Lead single ‘Thank U’ proved to be a global smash but the album’s follow-up singles failed to make much of an impression on the charts.
26 years on from its original release, ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’ has been reissued on vinyl and digital in a new ‘Thank U Edition’. The digital release has five bonus tracks including ‘Uninvited’ from the ‘City of Angels’ soundtrack and some B-sides from the era. The vinyl doesn’t have the bonus tracks but it does feature new cover art that pays homage to the original and includes a new photo of Morissette. The reissue serves as an opportunity for ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’ to be reappraised and I still maintain, all these years on, that it’s one of Morissette’s finest bodies of work.
Whereas ‘Jagged Little Pill’ was tight both thematically and musically, ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’ is a sprawling set that’s musically more adventurous than what had come before. At 17 tracks long, the album is perhaps a little too long, but it contains some of Morissette’s most interesting work. First track ‘Front Row’ sets the tone nicely opening with her layered vocal before making way for a Middle Eastern-tinged rhythm. The album was heavily inspired by Morissette’s trip to India in 1997, and that influence is present across many of the tracks.
From the grungier ‘Baba’ through to the more whimsical acoustic-driven ‘Heart of the House’, Morissette really pushed her sound on this record. The delicate piano ballad ‘Are You Still Mad’ finds Morissette asking a number of questions to a lover, ‘That I Would Be Good’ reflects on the feeling that you’ll be fine regardless of what life throws at you, and ‘The Couch’ is jam-packed with lyrics that reveal an intense therapy session. There are lighter moments on the record such as the surprising uptempo dance feel of ‘So Pure’ and the ‘UR’ is a meditation on knowing who you are.
For those who prefer the rockier side of Morissette’s style, there are a number of highlights. The trip-hop feel of “Can’t Not” is a mechanical sounding, industrial banger and ‘Would Not Come’ leans almost into hip-hop rhythms for a beat-laden pulsating moment that sees Morissette delivering her trademark wordy lyrics. On ‘Unsent’, Morissette returns to the comfort of an acoustic guitar to recount a number of love letters that she never sent but was startlingly honest in.
‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’ deserves its time in the sun and with this reissue I’m hopeful it may finally get it. While there’s no disputing that ‘Jagged Little Pill’ is Morissette’s best work, ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’ is an excellent body of work that proved there was more to the singer-songwriter than the ‘woman scorned’ label she was saddled with for years. As a long-time fan of Morissette I’ve always loved this album but hearing it on vinyl 26 years later is a real thrill that brings out dimensions I’ve never noticed before. It also confirms to me that the record is a near masterpiece that was unfairly overlooked on its original release.
Track list: 1. Front Row 2. Baba 3. Thank U 4. Are You Still Mad 5. Unsympathetic Character 6. That I Would Be Good 7. The Couch 8. Can’t Not 9. UR 10. I Was Hoping 11. One 12. Would Not Come 13. Unsent 14. So Pure 15. Joining You 16. Heart of the House 17. Your Congratulations Record label: Rhino Release date: 6th September 2024 Buy ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (Thank U Edition)’ now
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