The world is a better place with a new Liz Phair album in the mix, and after 11 long years, that’s what we’re getting next month when the iconic musician releases Soberish, June 4 via Chrysalis Records. Phair has released two tracks from the LP so far, including February’s storytelling “Hey Lou”, and today (May 12) completes a hat trick of excellence with an introspective pop ballad called “In There.”
Swirling around a theme of vulnerability with a partner, Phair’s brilliant lyricisms percolate through the track’s tender three minutes (“Like smoke under the door / Like cold comes through the floor / You got in there”); it’s the type of song that sticks with you long after first listen.
Soberish was produced by Phair’s longtime collaborator Brad Wood, who was on board for some of Phair’s most essential work (Exile In Guyville, Whip-Smart, whitechocolatespaceegg). And the LP’s title is a loaded one, as she has explained through this press cycle.
“Soberish can be about partying. It can be about self-delusion. It can be about chasing that first flush of love or, in fact, any state of mind that allows you to escape reality for a while and exist on a happier plane,” Phair says in a statement. “It’s not self-destructive or out of control; it’s as simple as the cycle of dreaming and waking up. That’s why I chose to symbolize Soberish with a crossroads [on the cover art], with a street sign. It’s best described as a simple pivot of perspective. When you meet your ‘ish’ self again after a period of sobriety, there’s a deep recognition and emotional relief that floods you, reminding you that there is more to life, more to reality and to your own soul than you are consciously aware of. But if you reach for too much of a good thing, or starve yourself with too little, you’ll lose that critical balance.”
Phair is set to hit the road this summer, touring North America with Alanis Morissette and Garbage for one heck of a triple bill. Get all the tour dates and stops at lizphairofficial.com, and listen to “In There” via its lyric video below.