Album Review: Lisa Loeb - No Fairy Tale

Remember the hit single, Stay, which was played over and over on radio and television in the mid-'90s? Well, Loeb is back with a new album and a new attitude. Borrowing from the sounds of acts like Tegan and Sarah, Loeb goes for a post-punk rock sound. There's even a track, A Hot Minute, penned by producer Chad Gilbert and Tegan and Sarah, that stands out as one of the stronger moments on the album. There is nothing as well-crafted as Stay and the album does sound strangely unfinished.

A big reason for the new sound is Gilbert, the guitarist from Florida punk outfit New Found Glory. He goes for the modern punk ethic where less is more and it's the vision that counts. The most obvious hit on the album is The 90's, which is an ironic take on her own success around that hit, Stay. Loeb seems to have only remembered one small part of the '90s in her vision.

Weak Day and Sick, Sick, Sick come closest to the sound you would expect from Loeb. On Ami, I'm Sorry, the 44-year-old American steers clear of any production values that lock her into a time and place.

Having spent the last ten years working in different kinds of music forms, including voice-overs and children's recordings, it's interesting to hear her back on the pop scene, and the up-tempo driving rock of No Fairy Tale does suggest that she still has a lot to give.