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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 10 OcTOber 2019
Rocker now writer Liz Phair dives deep into emotion, memory

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When were hands-off in allowing
she began writing her new her to take her novel ap-
memoir, Liz Phair found she proach to the book, but
wanted to tell inside-the- urged her to talk about the
mind stories, not behind- #MeToo movement.
the-scenes stories. The resulting essay, by far
“I’m more interested in the the timeliest chapter in
life of a human being than I the book, opens with her
am about a path to career reluctance to address the
success,” said the 52-year- subject, describing her re-
old singer-rocker-songwrit- action to reading women’s
er whose book, “Horror stories of Ryan Adams’ sex-
Stories,” was released Tues- ual misconduct, which he
day. “I’ve never been the has denied.
kind of person that read Phair, who does not use Ad-
those types of memoirs, so ams’ name in the book but
for me, I like the internal has acknowledged in inter-
world, the life of the mind. views she’s talking about
So that’s the kind of mem- him, worked on an aborted
oir that I chose to write, just album with the rocker. She
naturally.” writes that he “hit on” her,
For more than a quarter- but did not treat her as
century since her landmark This Oct. 4, 2019 photo shows singer-songwriter Liz Phair posing for a portrait to promote her mem- poorly as other women say
first album “Exile in Guyville” oir "Horror Stories," in Los Angeles. he did, nor behave as bad-
made her a feminist favor- Associated Press ly as many other men have
ite, Phair has swerved be- toward her.
tween cult status and larger her night instead of helping grounding details. bled putting her thoughts In the essay, Phair’s hesi-
stardom, between deep- a drunken girl in a public “To me, the interesting parts to music. tance gives way to a flood
dive indie albums and pop bathroom who looked like about life are the things you “I treated these as if they of memories of sexual mis-
near-hits, making choices she needed it. can’t look up,” Phair said. “I were songs,” she said. “I treatment of the times men
that thrilled some fans and “I had to kind of really go want to know how you felt. made a collection of short had stalked her through air-
confounded others. into the recollections that I want to know what you stories as if it were a long- ports or forced themselves
But “Horror Stories,” which had stuck with me that were going through. That’s form album.” on her in business meetings.
stretches from childhood to were really unresolved in the part that I can’t get by She’s far from finished mak- “It was an overwhelming
her 50s, gives virtually none a way, kind of still haunting Googling.” ing actual albums too. A experience to go back and
of the play-by-play behind me,” Phair told The Associ- She said that while the writ- new record that she quietly try to list all the traumatic
all that, dwelling instead ated Press. ing process was so lonely made with the team be- things that had happened
on moments that may Like memory itself, the es- compared to music that hind “Exile in Guyville” was to me whether it’s sexual
seem insignificant but have says in “Horror Stories” jump at times she “went cuck- announced Tuesday. The harassment in the work-
proved difficult to forget, as in time and shift from hazi- oo,” she also took comfort first single, “Good Side ,” place, or just predatory
big as giving birth to those ness into clarity, often leav- in how much putting her will be released Friday. men when I was younger,”
as small as moving on with ing out the year or other thoughts to paper resem- Phair said her publishers Phair said. q
Elbow's powerful new album a reflection of its time

By PABLO GORONDI vocals, not to mention his cially inspired bass line.
Elbow, "Giants of All Siz- endearing pronunciation "White Noise White Heat"
es" (Polydor/Verve Music and a redeeming finale, is a thumping reflection of
Group) also lift some of the emo- pain and rage triggered by
With all the talk about tional load off the listener. the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire
bleakness and the experi- The ingredients of extend- in London, which killed 72
ences of anger and loss ed opener "Dexter & Sinis- people, and by the appar-
affecting "Giants of All Siz- ter" divide roughly into 60% ent futility of the artist and
es," you'd imagine Elbow's ominous — mechanical his art in the face of such
eighth studio album arriving grooves and neither faith, tragedy. Still, the album
with an "Abandon hope, all hope nor charity — and ends with a trio of tunes
ye who enter here" warning 40% dexterous, with a prog- that, in recalling what's im-
sticker. rock coda, the album's best portant (for Garvey it's fam-
But while there's plenty of guitar riffs and outstanding ily, friends, the band and a
heaviness and weariness, vocals from Jesca Hoop. new life), lay the founda-
the Manchester band's The target of "Seven Veils" tions for better times ahead.
empathy and flair for the played the game too long, The exquisite "My Trouble"
hymn-like help alleviate the has been found out and is a term of endearment
oppression. definitively dismissed, while elevated by a wondrous
Richly textured arrange- "Empires," which "crumble string section, "On Deronda
ments — the band returned all the time," is very Brex- Road" is an enduring mem-
to playing live in the studio ity, with buzzing keyboards ory and "Weightless" touch-
— and brilliant composi- and a beautiful second ingly traces the passing of
tions, along with the re- section that's typically This cover image released by Polydor/Verve Label Group shows time and generations from
"Giants Of All Sizes" by Elbow.
sourceful use of singer/lyri- wordy, breathless and dis- Associated Press grandfather to father to
cist Guy Garvey's layered tressed and has an espe- son.q