Exile In Guyville

Exile In Guyville opens with " 6'1'' ", a song which nicely sets the tone for the rest of Phair's cd.  Distorted yet tame and catchy guitars are laid over edgy, upbeat drums that give Phair's music a feeling of confidence and rebelliousness before her voice even enters into the mix.  When she does sing, the mood set by the music is confirmed.  It sounds as if Phair is making little effort to sound beautiful.  Instead, her vocals seem either controlled by or reflective of her feelings of rage, confidence, and sexuality.  Her voice is often more of a slightly off-key melodic screaming than it is traditional singing.  This provides a feeling of intimacy with her; Phair's unique delivery is passionate and emotionally charged.  As a result, her 'singing' style strengthens her music and image in two ways: It makes it appear as if she has a deep personal investment in each of her songs, and it makes it seem like she doesn't give a shit about conforming to any musical standards other than her own.

Lyrically, Phair continues trend of intimacy as she talks about her problems, frustrations, and feelings toward men.  Even her slower and less emotionally driven songs like "Dance of the Seven Veils" and "Flower", for example, contain such personal lyrics that the feeling of intimate connection with Phair isn't lost with their absence of energy.  In Flower, Phair sings quietly and almost innocently the lyrics "every time I see your face I get all wet between my legs.  Every time you pass me by, I heave a sigh of pain".  She's completely willing to outline her sexual and emotional feelings with her lyrics.  Though in many places her music alone seems representative of her sentiments, her words express them explicitly.

On Exile In Guyville Phair shows through her music, singing style, and lyrics that she isn't afraid to express the more personal and explicit side of femininity that female artists (in my experience) tend to avoid in their music.  As a result, Exile in Guyville sounds refreshingly honest and unrestrained.