Liz Phair’s self-titled 2003 album has been ripped by longtime fans and music critics alike as a crass attempt to sell out.
Phair initially turned in a set of tracks produced by Michael Penn, but Capitol Records, as the saying goes, didn’t hear a single. They teamed her up with hit songwriting/production team The Matrix to come up with some more commercial material.
The sessions with The Matrix resulted in four songs, including hit single (and all-around great track) ‘Why Can’t I?’ The rest of the album wasn’t a far cry from those “commercial” tracks, suggesting Phair herself was interested in a more mainstream audience.
I find it hard to hate this album as much as some people. Several tracks, including today’s SOTD, are perfectly fine pop songs. Not as edgy or ground-breaking as her earliest work, sure, but so what?
Tell me what can I say to keep you in my life
Cause I can never relax
I’ve got to keep it exciting
Make it attractive
Keep it alive
Keep you coming back
I’m always so frightened you’ll see through my act
When the fire is out and I’ve given up
You come running out, and you build it up
You tell me good love never dies
It only hurts when we burn our eyes
From staring too long at the sun
You gotta throw your hands up
And let the night come
Spoken:
I like watching you out there. It’s comforting
Tell me what can I say to keep you in my life
All the words slip away when I look in your eyes
Because I can never relax
I’ve got to keep it exciting
Make it attractive
Keep it alive
Keep you coming back
I’m already fighting to keep what I have
When the fire is out and I’ve given up
You come running out, and you build it up
You tell me good love never dies
It only hurts when we burn our eyes
From staring too long at the sun
You gotta throw your hands up
And let the night come
Take your chances
And let the night come
Meet Me In Montauk 
I don’t know the album well enough to weigh in on this. I do like “Why Can’t I?” quite a lot though. On first listen, today’s song is okay, but not great.