ALANIS MORISSETTE”Jagged Little Pill” Maverick/Reprise* * *...

ALANIS MORISSETTE

“Jagged Little Pill”

Maverick/Reprise

* * * 1/2

Drastic mood swings are the province of youth, but few play the extreme emotional games as strikingly as this young Canadian hippie-hopper who one minute preaches peace ‘n’ love and the next is telling you, in no uncertain terms, to buzz off.

On the latter end, “You Oughta Know” approaches Bob Dylan’s “Positively 4th Street” and John Lennon’s “How Do You Sleep?” among the all-time great kiss-off songs. In “Hand in My Pocket,” she’s bouncing down the street like a shiny-eyed Deadhead. Like Dylan and Lennon, Morissette leaves no doubt that both her bile and bliss come straight from the heart.

Adding to the impact is the solid, cutting musical attack by such players as Benmont Tench and Chili Peppers Flea and Dave Navarro. At the core there’s the irrepressible presence of a fresh talent--somewhere between, say, Sinead O’Connor and Liz Phair--who’s determined to let her feelings out, whether with a snarl or a smile.

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