Throughout “Whitechocolatespaceegg,” Liz Phair maintains a girly, yet frustrated sound in a lineup of songs that each feel like a short story. Because “Whitechocolatespaceegg” was released after the birth of her only child, rather than appealing to her audience’s desires, Phair writes for herself in order to come to terms with her identity as a new mother.
To explore confusing subjects like disappointment, family, expectations and sexuality, Phair writes from the point of view of imaginary characters and family members. This exploration feels awkward because of her direct lyrics, yet passionate due to her volume and often intense tone.
Her writing is unfiltered and honest, as if she’s working through these things mid-album. The accusatory, wishful lyrics and inflection display the range of emotions she’s processing. Songs like “Perfect World” and “Love is Nothing” exemplify her frustration and insecurity. In “Perfect World” she sings, “I want to be cool, tall, vulnerable and luscious” highlighting her feelings of inadequacy. She sees a vision of herself as a perfect person, but she knows she isn’t and thus feels like she’s letting people down.
However, these feelings of inadequacy don’t come across as apologetic; instead, it seems as if she’s blaming her audience for having unrealistic expectations of her. Her subdued tone of voice and instrumentals in both of these songs help to enhance these emotions. The softened sound shows her vulnerability. In the album’s second song, “Big Tall Man,” Phair takes on the persona of an arrogant man. She sings, “I’m a big tall man, I cut the grass,” and follows that up with “Yes, I’m winning, spinning —And it feels good.” If this weren’t a persona, these lines would come off self-righteous. But, because they’re being sung by a new mother who’s grappling with insecurity, the lyrics sung from the point of view of this “big tall man” allow her to see herself as not only powerful but free and special. As a new mother and established artist, Phair may not feel sure of her identity, but throughout her music and storytelling, she explores an unknown stage of life in order to provoke new thoughts and emotions that both she and the listener can begin to reflect on.
