music: heard

> LISA LOEB: THE WAY IT REALLY IS
Loeb delivers a mature, polished CD with The Way It Really Is

By Allison M. Counasse
Music Critic

Throughout her career, Lisa Loeb has alternated between coffee shop minstrel and pop songstress. On her fifth solo album, 2004's The Way It Really Is, Loeb mingles the two personas with mostly positive results. This singer/songwriter stands out from other artists with her wry, insightful lyrics and perfect delivery.

The CD's title is clipped from a song that appeared on the sister releases Cake and Pie (2/2002) and Hello Lisa (10/2002). This might seem confusing at first thought, but, in reality, connects the albums and provides a sense of completion. The Way It Really Is is an album of endings and beginnings, and of an artist realizing who she is (which does not include conforming to the molds of the current pop princesses). Loeb steps to her own beat and does so with confidence and ease, indicated by lyrics like "I know where I'm going / I'm tripping / I'm sliding around / that's okay / at least I'm excited" from the first single "Fools Like Me"
and "I can't wait around for you / I've got better things to do" from "I Control the Sun".

Even a casual listener to a Loeb CD picks up on her love of language and challenging lyrics. She makes ample use of metaphor on her new CD, starting with the lead track. "Window Shopping", which has a 60s style beatnik delivery coupled with a dynamic backing band, compares the modern dating scene to shopping. Diamonds, mountains, and even the sun pepper her lyrical landscape.

Loeb balances acoustic numbers with her signature shimmering pop rock sound, much as she does melancholy and hopeful lyrics. "I Control the Sun", "Fools Like Me", and the radio-friendly "Probably" are the definite stand-out tracks, but don't overlook the lilting, gentle "Try" and the guitar-heavy "Diamonds". "Accident", a jarring social commentary, seems out of place with the rest of the collection but adds depth to her catalog of work. Overall, The Way It Really Is is a quality production worthy of several listens.

(04-0820)

info:
Zoë/Rounder
Release Date: 08/10/2004

track listing:
01. Window Shopping
02. I Control the Sun
03. Hand-Me-Downs
04. Fools Like Me
05. Try
06. Diamonds
07. Would You Wander
08. Probably
09. Accident
10. Lucky Me
11. Now I Understand

related links:
Lisa Loeb - official site