Alanis Morissette played Glastonbury over the weekend and the outpouring of love for her performance warmed my heart. Despite being in the public eye since the release of her debut album ‘Alanis’ in 1991, Morissette is an artist that I don’t think gets the credit or celebration she truly deserves. Often dismissed as a 90s act that had one huge album – 1995’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’, which is still the best-selling album by a female artist – Morissette has enjoyed a rich and hugely successful career. It’s fair to say that none of her subsequent records reached the same commercial heights as ‘Jagged Little Pill’ but to ignore her impact beyond that record is remiss at best.
In 2012 Morissette released ‘Havoc and Bright Lights’, her first album since 2008’s experimental ‘Flavors of Entanglement’ and her eighth studio album at that point. Working with producers Guy Sigsworth and Joe Chiccarelli, Morissette blended her signature sound with the more experimental work she’d done in her career, and the resulting response from the critics was middling. The fans still showed up ensuring the record charted well across the globe, but it’s true that commercially it didn’t perform as strongly as Morissette would likely have hoped. 13 years on from its original release and Music On Vinyl are giving the record its flowers with a gorgeous new release.
Spread across two LPs, ‘Havoc and Bright Lights’ finds Morissette, for the most part, in a softer and more reflective state than some of her records. The album opens with ‘Guardian’, a rock-leaning mid-tempo number that explores the protectiveness a mother has for her child, as well as the commitment to looking after yourself. ‘Woman Down’, a female empowerment anthem, combines hypnotic beats with Morissette’s unmistakeable voice for one of the album’s best moments while the urgent ‘Celebrity’ reflects on Morissette spending most of her life in the public eye.
Of the gentler moments on the record ‘Empathy’ is a moment of gratitude from Morissette as she thanks someone for seeing who she is and considering her, ‘Spiral’ explores the negative impact the opinions of others has, and ‘Receive’ is a moment of introspection and teaching yourself to take in life’s experiences. One of the highlights on the record is the rocky ‘Numb’, which recalls Morissette’s ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’ album. It’s that bit harder and majestic.
In the album’s final moments Morissette leaning into her ethereal side for a meditation on the way civilisation moves forward, the sweet ‘Will You Be My Girlfriend?’ is the album’s most vulnerable song, and closing track ‘Magical Child’ is a hazy acoustic-driven track where Morissette returns to her inner child to centre herself.
For its new pressing via Music On Vinyl, ‘Havoc and Bright Lights’ is limited to 1,500 numbered copies on crystal clear 180-gram double vinyl. The gatefold sleeve has a luxurious linen laminate finish and the release comes with a 4-page full-colour booklet features the song lyrics, credits and imagery from the album photoshoot.
‘Havoc and Bright Lights’ is an album that is due a reappraisal. It’s aged incredibly well and there’s some of Morissette’s strongest material from her career on the record. As the singer-songwriter is experiencing a resurgence, I hope people revisit this album and give it another chance. The Music On Vinyl release is the best way to experience it, thanks to its superior sound quality and the stunning presentation it’s been given.
Track list: LP 1 Side A – 1. Guardian 2. Woman Down 3. ‘Til You 4. Celebrity Side B – 1. Empathy 2. Lens 3. Spiral LP 2 Side A – 1. Numb 2. Havoc 3. Win and Win 4. Receive Side B – 1. Edge of Evolution 2. Will You Be My Girlfriend? 3. Magical Child Released by: Music On Vinyl Release date: 13th June 2025 Buy ‘Havoc and Bright Lights’ now
