Liz Phair has shared the details of her much-anticipated LP, Soberish. Her first album of new material in 11 years, the follow-up to 2010’s Funstyle arrives on June 4 via Chrysalis. Today (April 14), Phair has also previewed the record with a new single called ‘Spanish Doors’. Check it out below and scroll down for the album’s cover artwork and tracklist.
In a statement, Phair said the new song is “about the fracturing of a beautiful life, when everything you counted on is suddenly thrown up for grabs.” She continued, “I drew inspiration from a friend who was going through a divorce, but the actions in the lyrics are my own. I relate to hiding out in the bathroom when everyone around you is having a good time but your life just fell apart. You look at yourself in the mirror and wonder who you are now, shadows of doubt creeping into your eyes. Just a few moments ago you were a whole, confident person and now you wonder how you’ll ever get the magic back.”
Produced by Phair’s longtime collaborator Brad Wood, who also worked on Exile In Guyville, Whip-Smart, and whitechocolatespaceegg, Soberish will include the previously released singles ‘Good Side’ and ‘Hey Lou’. “I found my inspiration for Soberish by delving into an early era of my music development, my art school years spent listening to Art Rock and New Wave music non-stop on my Walkman,” she explained. “The English Beat, The Specials, Madness, R.E.M.s Automatic for the People, Yazoo, The Psychedelic Furs, Talking Heads, Velvet Underground, Laurie Anderson, and the Cars. The city came alive for me as a young person, the bands in my headphones lending me the courage to explore.”
Elaborating on the concept behind the album, she added:
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. 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, 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.
Soberish Cover Artwork:
Soberish Tracklist:
1. Spanish Doors
2. The Game
3. Hey Lou
4. In There
5. Good Side
6. Sheridan Side
7. Ba Ba Ba
8. Soberish
9. Soul Sucker
10. Lonely Street
11. Dosage
12. Bad Kitty
13. Rain Scene
