Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Alanis Morissette - Such Pretty Forks in the Road
Critic Score
Based on 20 reviews
2020 Ratings: #675 / 871
User Score
Based on 251 ratings
2020 Rank: #618
Liked by 19 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
The Independent

Morissette sings with a profound matter-of-factness while demonstrating the full power of her unmistakeable voice, making for one of her best-ever records.

80
Albumism

It’s her personal experiences within many of these realms that fire up the engine inside Such Pretty Forks In The Road—her most inward-looking and outwardly forthright album in years.

80
Spectrum Culture

Such Pretty Forks in the Road is nothing short of the Canadian legend’s best work in years.

80
The Line of Best Fit
Decades into her career and Alanis Morissette still knows how to balance the dark with the light.
80
PopMatters

Such Pretty Forks in the Road urges listeners to accept Morissette for who she is now. She avows her inability to reject the expectations plaguing her, thereby revealing the album's magic.

80
musicOMH

Alanis Morissette has long been a rarity among her peers, more than willing to address significant, yet unsettling subject matter. Such Pretty Forks In The Road is a case in point, with inspiring lyrical touches and affecting vocal sincerity placing it among her best albums.

75
Consequence of Sound

Such Pretty Forks in the Road does a clearer job than some of its 2000s-era predecessors of not sounding like it’s straining to follow something up or to prove that there are still tricks Morissette can pluck from her sleeves. And it’s this focus that ultimately makes it compelling.

70
Clash

Overall, ‘Such Pretty Forks In The Road’ is relatable in parts and uninspired in others but for a few key moments of simple brilliance it’s worth a listen.

70
The Sydney Morning Herald

Eschewing the usual cavalcade of buzzy producers and glossy pop productions, she delivers a modern twist on her familiar grunge-tinged pop.

70
Classic Rock

Her ninth album is a measured, but unwaveringly honest, portrait of middle age with all its elation and tribulations.

65
Pitchfork
These U-turns of phrase are well within bounds of what you expect from an Alanis Morissette album. But her music still has surprises, and she saves the most rewarding one for the end.
60
NME

The Canadian star's first new album since 2012 may not be flawless, but it stays true to Morissette’s unflinching depiction of life.

60
The Observer

Yes, musically, these songs ... are for the most part her stock-in-trade windswept power ballads and unremarkable soft rock. But while there’s nothing as thrillingly angry as You Oughta Know, it’s a far more palatable set than 2012’s insipid Havoc and Bright Lights.

60
AllMusic

Such Pretty Forks in the Road is lacquered in immaculate gloss, a sound that accentuates the interior journey of the songs without quite inviting exploration.

60
The Arts Desk

Her mood as the album advances over swaying martial beats and Hammond vamps is defiant, amused, forensically self-absorbed or coolly sarcastic, but never down.

50
Rolling Stone

Her lyrics are still sharp, and there’s plenty of drama and tension throughout, but unfortunately her cris de coeur don’t translate to catchy, cutting songs.

50
Crack Magazine

The flipside to Such Pretty Forks, unfortunately, is that so much of the edge that made Morissette such an intriguing mainstream rock star has mostly evaporated.

MasterCrackfox
73

Unless you've been living under a rock since the 90's, you oughta know who Alanis Morissette is. Her hugely successful album, Jagged Little Pill, was a huge hit machine with some of the most memorable songs of that entire decade. Although the majority of listeners, myself included, have likely never spanned out beyond that album and for some even just the major singles, her new album is still surely an event. Eight years removed from her last release, Such Pretty Forks in the Road is sure to be ... read more

Davibitt1234
77

Após 8 anos sem lançar nada, Alanis lança seu nono álbum de estudio nos entregando um álbum coeso e vocais muito bons

Como vários outros trabalhos dela desde Jagged Little Pill o conteúdo lírico revela versos de teor pessoal.

Ao longo do álbum você percebe que ele retrata uma história de evolução pessoal, o álbum começa com o eu lírico reconhecendo seu estado depressivo e seus ... read more

tha138
55

The truth is that there are some interesting, pretty forks in the road, not many, but the Canadian singer selected the most mature ones, those, whose prettiness is not meant to last for long.

insomniblvck
63

Yeah this one didn't click for me, but Alanis is still a solid writer and great performer.

dmin92
65

It has been 8 years since Alanis Morissette's previous album "Havoc and Bright Lights" was released. With this new album, it seems she has lost her ability to make interesting songs, making this her first mediocre or "bad" album. "Smiling", "Ablaze", and "Reasons I Drink" are great songs, it's just that the rest of the album is a total miss (lots of duds), and that weighs the album down heavily.

starstriking
86

01. smiling - 100
02. ablaze - 95
03. reasons i drink - 85
04. diagnosis - 85
05. missing the miracle - 80
06. losing the plot - 90
07. reckoning - 85
08. sandbox love - 80
09. her - 85
10. nemesis - 85
11. pedestal - 80

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Track List

1Smiling
4:17
75
2Ablaze
3:57
74
3Reasons I Drink
3:36
73
4Diagnosis
4:46
66
5Missing the Miracle
3:33
63
6Losing the Plot
3:57
72
7Reckoning
3:25
68
8Sandbox Love
4:12
57
9Her
4:10
61
10Nemesis
5:56
71
11Pedestal
4:08
64
Total Length: 45 minutes

Year End Lists

#15/Albumism
#35/Good Morning America
#52/Idolator
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Added on: December 10, 2019