CONCERT REVIEW Morissette's talent shines anew; Barenaked Ladies veer into intrigue

Alanis Morissette has come a long way since 'You Oughta Know.'
By DEBORA SHAULIS
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
CUYAHOGA FALLS -- Barenaked Ladies and Alanis Morissette don't have much in common besides their pop music roots and Canadian addresses.
Morissette is the serious, introspective alt-rock singer-songwriter whose bitter feelings toward an ex-lover have inspired some of her best material. The all-male Barenaked Ladies are the Jimmy Buffett of a new generation, offering feel-good, off-the-cuff songs about life that aren't meant to be taken seriously, save for a handful of ballads.
BNL may have drawn the crowd, but Morissette was the talent of the show as they kicked off their "Au Naturale" tour Tuesday night at Blossom Music Center here.
BNL and Morisette will take turns as headliners this summer. Tuesday night, she took the stage first.
Has come far
Morissette has come a long way since she made a name for herself nine summers ago with that angry, I'll-even-the-score song titled "You Oughta Know," from her third album, "Jagged Little Pill." Despite her childhood experience as a TV star-turned-pop singer in Canada, Morissette seemed lost and awkward onstage when she first toured the United States in support of "Jagged Little Pill."
Now the 30-year-old Morissette is more personable, confident, expressive and a smarter vocalist in concert. For "You Oughta Know," her band stayed true to the song's dark, bass-heavy mood, but she brought the emotional lyrics down a bit to sound like a hurt woman rather than the rage-filled one who first recorded the song. It's a smart way to freshen a career-defining tune without making it sound foreign to fans.
Haunting voice
The haunting quality of Morissette's girlish voice was showcased when she performed "Uninvited."
As they wound their way through old and new hits, Morissette (who plays guitar and harmonica) and company shifted from pure pop sounds to big chords that sounded like something from an orchestral rock show.
When Barenaked Ladies strayed from its pop sound, it veered into country and folk territory in interesting ways. At one point, the five musicians gathered around one microphone for an acoustic segment. "For You" was fueled by a guitar-mandolin mix and some meaningful lyrics about the need to be one's real self in relationships. The otherwise-buoyant song "One Week" took on a new sound in this format, with guitar, mandolin, standing bass and hand percussion in the mix as co-vocalist Steven Page took things a little slower and gentler. They also performed some intriguing songs that they said they never released -- a bonus for diehard fans.
Overshadowed
Too bad those songs tend to be overshadowed by Barenaked Ladies' radio-friendly but silly stuff, such as "Brian Wilson" (a song about writer's block), "If I Had A Million Dollars" (duh, they'd be rich) and "Pinch Me" (with its grating lyrics). Then there was a shopping-cart dance that was reminiscent of synchronized swimming and which served as a reminder that Barenaked Ladies performances are an acquired taste.
shaulis@vindy.com