Soberish

Soberish—slated for release in 2020, but eventually released on June 4, 2021—was Liz Phair's first record of entirely new material in eleven years and her first studio album under Chrysalis Records.{{cite web |url=https://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/liz-phair-joins-chrysalis-as-reborn-label-s-first-us-signing/081043 |title=Liz Phair joins Chrysalis as reborn label's first US signing |work=Music Week |date=September 9, 2020 |access-date=April 14, 2021 |archive-date=October 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024154837/https://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/liz-phair-joins-chrysalis-as-reborn-label-s-first-us-signing/081043 |url-status=live }} The album has been described by Pitchfork as "highly-anticipated" and was included on Rolling Stone{{'}}s list of the most anticipated albums of 2021.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/2021-album-preview-drake-lorde-foo-fighters-1109877/liz-phair-6-1109948/ |title=54 Most Anticipated Albums of 2021 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=January 13, 2021 |access-date=April 14, 2021 |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414080545/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/2021-album-preview-drake-lorde-foo-fighters-1109877/liz-phair-6-1109948/ |url-status=live }} In the lead-up to the album's release, Phair was interviewed for the New Yorker.{{cite web |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/liz-phairs-songs-of-experience |title=Liz Phair's Songs Of Experience |work=New Yorker |date=April 18, 2021 |access-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-date=April 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418193736/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/liz-phairs-songs-of-experience |url-status=live }} The album's first single "Good Side" peaked at number 24 on the Triple-A airplay chart and spent a total of 13 weeks on the chart, while 'Spanish Doors', entered the chart at number 39.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/liz-phair/chart-history/aaa/ |title=Triple A Airplay |magazine=Billboard |date=May 15, 2021 |access-date=May 16, 2021 |archive-date=May 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516000304/https://www.billboard.com/music/liz-phair/chart-history/AAA/song/1169943 |url-status=live }}

Soberish was Phair's first release since 2010's Funstyle, and in an interview with The Independent on May 31, 2021, Phair spoke about the specter of death over Soberish, saying that "when Prince died and [David] Bowie died, my manager called me and he's like, 'What are you doing with your career? Do you know you could be dead tomorrow? Are you making the work now that you would want to leave behind if it were your last?'" Phair said that "it would have been terrible if I had died after [Funstyle]", and that she "will not make that mistake again".{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Adam |title=Liz Phair: 'It would have been terrible if I'd died after my last album – I will not make that mistake again' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/liz-phair-interview-soberish-b1856893.html |access-date=11 June 2021 |work=The Independent |date=31 May 2021 |archive-date=11 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611030536/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/liz-phair-interview-soberish-b1856893.html |url-status=live }} Following the album's release, Phair had planned to support Alanis Morissette on her upcoming global tour commemorating the 25th anniversary of Jagged Little Pill, but withdrew on July 24, 2021 "due to unforeseen circumstances", with Cat Power taking Phair's place.{{cite news |last1=Lavin |first1=Will |title=Liz Phair cancels summer tour with Alanis Morissette and Garbage due to "unforeseen circumstances" |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/liz-phair-cancels-summer-tour-with-alanis-morissette-and-garbage-3001793 |access-date=26 July 2021 |work=NME |date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726021138/https://www.nme.com/news/music/liz-phair-cancels-summer-tour-with-alanis-morissette-and-garbage-3001793 |archive-date=26 July 2021 |url-status=live}}

The opening song on Soberish is "Spanish Doors", an infectious and upbeat song that features electronic beats, vocal effects, and a layered chorus,{{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/liz_phair_soberish_album_review|title=Liz Phair's 'Soberish' Is Complete Indie Pop Chaos|work=Exclaim!|access-date=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603233752/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/liz_phair_soberish_album_review|url-status=live}} as well as backing vocals that Pitchfork compared to Haim. It is followed by "The Game", a "saccharine soft rock crooner" with an opening that The A.V. Club compared to John Cougar Mellencamp. The third track on the album is "Hey Lou", which contains orchestral strings, punchy drums and guitars, and lyrically built on crisp couplets. "Hey Lou" shows Phair telling the story of "Laurie Anderson impatiently talking her husband, Lou Reed, out of one of his assholic distempers". Towards the end of "Hey Lou", the line "How did that work out for you?" repeats, "washing over itself in dense layers".

The fourth track on Soberish is "In There", which is a moody electronic ballad that contains a "hard, tinny drum machine". "Good Side", the melodic first single from Soberish, is the fifth track. It opens with what The Guardian described as the "arresting[ly] confessional" lyric of "There are so many ways to fuck up a life/ I've tried to be original". Lyrically, said NME, "it screens like a break-up song, but also feels like a song about artistic legacy". The sixth track is "Sheridan Road", a "vulnerable acoustic confession" with meandering guitar lines where Phair evokes her hometown of Chicago. The seventh track, "Ba Ba Ba", was described by Pitchfork as sweet and gentle, which illustrates "the initial elation of a hotel hookup" with lines such as "I don't have the guts to tell you that I feel great, I feel safe", but then moves towards "the moment where things inevitably unraveled".

Track nine, the album's longest, is "Soul Sucker", which contains an "electric piano groove", and a nod to "Remember Me" by Blue Boy in its chorus. "Lonely Street", the tenth track, is a stripped-down song where Phair adopts the point of view of a lover with lyrics such as "I've gotta run/I've been missing you, girl, like the sun". The eleventh track is "Dosage", a laidback alt-pop ballad, laid on top of cello and sparse beats, where Phair offers "life advice from the perspective of a recovering bad-decision junkie who's still finding her own middle path". The second-to-last track is "Bad Kitty", which deals with more sexual themes,{{Cite web|url= https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review-liz-phair-soberish-too-often-falls-back-on-tired-pop-trends/|title= Review: Liz Phair's Soberish Too Often Falls Back on Tired Pop Trends|website= Slant Magazine|date= 6 June 2021|access-date= 2021-09-16|archive-date= 2021-07-12|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210712033245/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review-liz-phair-soberish-too-often-falls-back-on-tired-pop-trends/|url-status= live}} opening with the lyric "My pussy is a big dumb cat, it lies around lazy and fat", and addressing themes of doubt and confidence in the chorus with the line of "I don't live in a world that appreciates me". The record concludes with the 47-second "Rain Scene".

{{Music ratings

| MC = 76/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/soberish/liz-phair|title=Soberish by Liz Phair Reviews and Tracks|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603233751/https://www.metacritic.com/music/soberish/liz-phair|url-status=live}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |title=Liz Phair – Soberish |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/soberish-mw0003505513 |website=AllMusic |accessdate=24 February 2023 |date=4 June 2021}}

| rev2 = The A.V. Club

| rev2score = B−{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/you-can-call-it-a-comeback-but-don-t-dub-liz-phairs-so-1847007814|title=You can call it a comeback, but don't dub Liz Phair's Soberish a "return to form"|work=The A.V. Club|date=June 3, 2021 |access-date=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603233755/https://www.avclub.com/you-can-call-it-a-comeback-but-don-t-dub-liz-phairs-so-1847007814|url-status=live}}

| rev3=Christgau's Consumer Guide

| rev3Score=A−{{cite web|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cg2021-07.php|title=Consumer Guide: July, 2021|website=And It Don't Stop|last=Christgau|first=Robert|date=July 15, 2021|accessdate=February 3, 2023}}

| rev4 = DIY

| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://diymag.com/2021/06/03/liz-phair-soberish-album-review |title=Soberish - Liz Phair: Album Review |work=DIY |date=June 3, 2021 |access-date=June 4, 2021 |archive-date=June 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604130324/https://diymag.com/2021/06/03/liz-phair-soberish-album-review |url-status=live }}

| rev5 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev5score = A−{{cite magazine |last1=Johnston |first1=Maura |author-link=Maura Johnston |title=Soberish review: Liz Phair probes 21st-century life's gray areas |url=https://ew.com/music/music-reviews/liz-phair-soberish-review/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |accessdate=24 February 2023 |date=3 June 2021}}

| rev6 = The Independent

| rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/japanese-breakfast-review-liz-phair-b1858192.html|title=Album reviews: Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee, and Liz Phair – Soberish|newspaper=The Independent|date=3 June 2021|access-date=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603233750/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/japanese-breakfast-review-liz-phair-b1858192.html|url-status=live}}

| rev7 = Mojo

| rev7score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/uncut-07.21/page/33/mode/1up |title=Soberish - Liz Phair|work=Mojo|access-date=May 30, 2021}}

| rev8 = NME

| rev8score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/liz-phair-soberish-review-indie-icon-honours-her-legacy-and-sets-a-new-path-2954267|title=Liz Phair – 'Soberish' review: indie icon honours her legacy – and sets a new path|website=NME|date=3 June 2021|access-date=2021-06-03|archive-date=2021-09-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916190756/https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/liz-phair-soberish-review-2954267|url-status=live}}

| rev9 = Pitchfork

| rev9score = 7.0/10{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/liz-phair-soberish/|title=Liz Phair: Soberish Album Review|website=Pitchfork|last=Thomas|first=Peyton|date=June 5, 2021|access-date=June 14, 2021|archive-date=June 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608052312/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/liz-phair-soberish/|url-status=live}}

| rev10 = Rolling Stone

| rev10score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/liz-phair-soberish-review-1177879/|title=Liz Phair Shows Us Her Best Sides on 'Soberish'|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=2021-09-16|archive-date=2021-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701150718/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/liz-phair-soberish-review-1177879/|url-status=live}}

}}

Soberish has received generally positive reception from music critics. Chris Willman of Variety described the album as a "superior work".{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/liz-phair-soberish-new-album-interview-1234984433/ |title=Liz Phair Is Ready to Flourish and Run With a New Album, 'Soberish' |work=Variety |date=May 28, 2021 |access-date=May 30, 2021 |archive-date=May 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210530060117/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/liz-phair-soberish-new-album-interview-1234984433/ |url-status=live }} NME's El Hunt wrote that "'Soberish' serves as a reminder of Liz Phair's brilliance after years of underestimation", and that the record marks a return to earlier albums in her catalogue, as well as Phair's Girly Sound mixtapes. In a positive review, Uncut magazine remarked that "Phair always sounds like she's having fun flipping off every last hater";{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/uncut-07.21/page/33/mode/1up|title=Soberish – Liz Phair|website=Uncut|year=2021}} meanwhile in a mixed review, Mojo magazine described the album as a "mixed bag", "but a welcome return that promises much". Writing for The Guardian, Phil Mongredien called Soberish unforgivably mediocre, saying that "for the most part the coffee-table pop on offer here is remarkable only for being so forgettable".{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jun/06/liz-phair-soberish-review|title=Liz Phair: Soberish review – arresting lyrics in a sea of coffee-table pop|newspaper=The Guardian|date=6 June 2021|access-date=June 7, 2021|archive-date=June 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607000933/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jun/06/liz-phair-soberish-review|url-status=live}}

The album was considered one of the best of 2021 according to Variety,{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/lists/2021-best-albums/|title = The Best Albums of 2021|date = 9 December 2021}} AllMusic,{{Cite web|url=https://www.yearendlists.com/2021/12/allmusic-best-of-2021|title = AllMusic: Best of 2021|date = 29 December 2021}} Good Morning America,https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/50-best-albums-2021-81884588 / Forbes,{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidchiu/2021/12/29/japanese-breakfast-mickey-guyton-brandi-carlile-st-vincent-lead-some-of-2021s-notable-albums/?ss=arts&sh=5faf76544638|title = Japanese Breakfast, Mickey Guyton, Brandi Carlile, St. Vincent Lead Some of 2021's Notable Albums|website = Forbes}} Albumism,{{Cite web|url=https://www.albumism.com/lists1/best-albums-of-2021-liz-phair-soberish?rq=soberish|title=Albumism's 100 Best Albums of 2021 | #19: Liz Phair's 'Soberish'|date=December 3, 2021 }} The Forty-Five,{{Cite web|url=https://thefortyfive.com/opinion/best-albums-of-2021/|title=The 45 best albums of 2021|date=20 December 2021}} Allaccess.com {{Cite web|url=https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/214229/all-access-net-news-editor-roy-trakin-s-top-albums|title = All Access Net News Editor Roy Trakin's Top Albums of the Year}} and by Carl Wilson in Slate.{{Cite journal|url=https://slate.com/culture/2021/12/best-albums-2021.html|title=The Top 10 Albums of 2021|journal=Slate |date=21 December 2021 |last1=Wilson |first1=Carl }}

The title track was highlighted as "one of the best rock songs of the year" by NPR Music.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/now-playing/2021/12/21/1066266178/liz-phair-soberish|title = Liz Phair, 'Soberish'|website = NPR|date = 21 December 2021|last1 = Hart|first1 = Otis}} Variety also listed "In There" among their best songs of 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/lists/best-songs-2021-music/liz-phair-in-there/|title = The 50 Best Songs of 2021|date = 31 December 2021}}

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Liz Phair, except where noted

| headline = Soberish track listing

| title1 = Spanish Doors

| length1 = 3:57

| title2 = The Game

| length2 = 3:29

| title3 = Hey Lou

| note3 = Phair, Brad Wood

| length3 = 2:42

| title4 = In There

| length4 = 3:12

| title5 = Good Side

| length5 = 2:54

| title6 = Sheridan Road

| length6 = 3:27

| title7 = Ba Ba Ba

| length7 = 3:41

| title8 = Soberish

| length8 = 3:50

| title9 = Soul Sucker

| length9 = 4:33

| title10 = Lonely St.

| length10 = 3:31

| title11 = Dosage

| note11 = Phair, Wood

| length11 = 4:05

| title12 = Bad Kitty

| note12 = Phair, Randy Reddig

| length12 = 3:37

| title13 = Rain Scene

| length13 = 0:47

| total_length = 43:45

}}

• Liz Phair – vocals, guitar, art direction
• Brad Wood – guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion, programming, production, mixing, engineering
• Casey Rice – guitar (4, 10)
• Marc Orrell – mandolin (11)
• Chick Wolverton – percussion (11)
• Emily Lazar – mastering
• James N. Staskauskas – artwork
• Kathy Angstadt – creative direction
• Shea McChrystal – layout
• Lorna Turner – logo

{{Reflist}}

• {{Discogs master}}

{{Liz Phair}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2021 albums

Category:Liz Phair albums

Category:Albums produced by Brad Wood

Category:Chrysalis Records albums

Category:Albums postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic