RECORD REVIEWS

September 2, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

ALANIS MORISSETTE

Album: “Havoc and Bright Lights”

Grade: C

Alanis Morissette is happier now. Alanis Happiness — thanks to marriage and motherhood — is slightly less stable and far more wordy than, you know, regular folks’ happiness. But she is more than eager to discuss this on “Havoc and Bright Lights” (Collective Sounds), her eighth studio album and most cohesive effort in years. Not “Jagged Little Pill” cohesive, mind you, but far more focused than her recent musical walkabouts.

The opener “Guardian” is as straightforward and upbeat as Morissette gets, declaring her everlasting love and guardianship. It’s a signal that she’s still in touch with her determined “Hand in My Pocket” self, even if that rebelliousness has run out. She gets sappy on the love ballad “Til You,” which is wrapped in Carpenters-like ’70s gauze and delivered so tamely it makes Sarah McLachlan sound ferocious. The sweetness is all the more jarring since it follows “Woman Down,” a snarling litigation of a man’s missteps that lacks the bite of Morissette’s earlier work.

Unfortunately, the tales of domesticity are where Morissette is on the firmest ground.

Morissette still has plenty to say and a distinctive way to say it on “Havoc.” But, too often, it feels like a lecture rather than a song.

— Glenn Gamboa, McClatchy Newspapers

DIVINE FITS

Album: “A Thing Called Divine Fits”

Grade: A-minus

Divine Fits’ debut album, “A Thing Called Divine Fits” (Merge), is the musical equivalent of those “What If?” Marvel comic books. Instead of wondering what would happen if Spider-Man joined the Fantastic Four, we learn what it would sound like if Spoon’s Britt Daniel joined Handsome Furs or how Handsome Furs’ Dan Boeckner would fare in Spoon. (Spoiler alert: Amazing.) Daniel gets his electro-groove on for “My Love Is Real,” which takes Handsome Furs’ synthy-rock and filters it through The Cure. And Boeckner warms up the spare, angular rock of “Baby Gets Worse.” Let the indie-rocker freakout begin!

— Glenn Gamboa, McClatchy Newspapers

Tamia

Album: “Beautiful Surprise”

Grade: B

Tamia, whose voice is one of music’s most powerful — and underrated — should be among the ranks of divas such as Aretha, Chaka, Mariah and Beyonce. But her 14-year career hasn’t translated to chart-topping songs and multiplatinum album sales. Despite that, the R&B songstress — best known for the hits “Stranger in My House” and “Into You” with Fabolous — has released four outstanding albums, including her stellar 1998 self-titled debut, which featured production work by Quincy Jones and Jermaine Dupri. Tamia’s fifth release, “Beautiful Surprise,” is another consistent effort, filled with soulful ballads and midtempo grooves. The album’s biggest — and best — surprise is Tamia’s take on country music. She nicely remakes Wynonna Judd’s “Is It Over Yet,” and “Still” is a beautiful, twang-inspired version of a song from her third album, “More.” The 11-track set — her second independent release — also includes bouncy tunes like “Lose My Mind” and “Believe in Love,” both produced by the Runners (Rick Ross, Rihanna, Usher). Fellow singer Jazmine Sullivan co-writes and sings background on the power ballad “Still Love You,” which finds Tamia stretching her voice to new heights.

— Stacy A. Anderson, Associated Press