Last time Liz Phair released an album, it was hard to tell if it was an earnest-but-sloppy effort, or some kind of bizarre joke. I’m still not sure what to make of 2010’s Funstyle, and I rarely feel compelled to revisit it. Yet I consider her 1993 debut, Exile In Guyville, a low-fi masterpiece and one of my desert island discs.
I was also underwhelmed by Liz’s last proper/coherent album, Somebody’s Miracle in 2005. But I’ll unashamedly admit I thoroughly enjoyed her self-titled release in 2003 that saw her working with Avril Lavigne’s producers and grasping at pop radio.
But Liz is anything but predictable. Last year, she went on tour with fellow Chicagoan, Billy Corgan. On the road, she hinted at the possibility of new music by debuting a new song. Could a new album be in her future?
The answer appears to have come today from none other than Ryan Adams. On both Twitter and Instagram, Adams posted photos of Liz recording in his PaxAm studios with current Adams players Charlie Stavish on bass and Nate Lotz on drums. To make things even more interesting, legendary producer Don Was is pictured looking on as Liz rocks on her guitar.
Today we begin the new @PhizLair double album!!! #LizPhair #ExileInPaxAmVille pic.twitter.com/xw7Z5X6zDV
— Ryan Adams (@TheRyanAdams) January 13, 2017
Oh, by the way… it’s a double album, too!
There’s no official announcement yet from Liz, nor from PaxAm records, who may even eventually be releasing the new record. But if tonight’s post on Twitter is any indication, our dog days are indeed behind us.
