Listen To Liz Phair’s ‘Spanish Doors’, From Upcoming Album, ‘Soberish’
The acclaimed singer-songwriter’s long-awaited new album is set for release on June 4.
Liz Phair has shared the opening track, “Spanish Doors”, from her upcoming album, Soberish and revealed that the album is set for release on June 4. You can check it out below.
Phair says “Spanish Doors” is “about the fracturing of a beautiful life, when everything you counted on is suddenly thrown up for grabs.”
Her statement continues, “I drew inspiration from a friend who was going through a divorce, but the actions in the lyrics are my own. I relate to hiding out in the bathroom when everyone around you is having a good time but your life just fell apart. You look at yourself in the mirror and wonder who you are now, shadows of doubt creeping into your eyes. Just a few moments ago you were a whole, confident person and now you wonder how you’ll ever get the magic back.”
Phair has been working up to the release of Soberish for around 18 months. She first teased the new full-length — her first since 2010 and first with Exile In Guyville producer Brad Wood since 1998 — in an interview with Stereogum in October 2019.
That conversation marked the release of the album’s lead single “Good Side.” Soberish was supposed to drop last year, but the pandemic pushed back its release, so the only new Phair songs in 2020 were the ones she whipped up quickly using Twitter’s new Voice feature. But in February of this year she re-initiated the Soberish rollout with “Hey Lou,” a tribute to Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson.
Phair said of, “Hey Lou”: “Have you ever wondered what love looks like for your favorite celebrity couple behind closed doors?” Hey Lou imagines a day in the life of two music legends, whose union was an inspiration for rock bands and a source of curiosity for die hard romantics.”
Phair has also shared some insight into the meaning of her title: “Soberish can be about partying. It can be about self-delusion. It can be a about chasing that first flush of love or, in fact, any state of mind that allows you to escape reality for a while and exist on a happier plane. It’s not self-destructive or out of control; it’s as simple as the cycle of dreaming and waking up.
“That’s why I chose to symbolize Soberish with a crossroads, with a street sign. It’s best described as a simple pivot of perspective. When you meet your ‘ish’ self again after a period of sobriety, there’s a deep recognition and emotional relief that floods you, reminding you that there is more to life, more to reality and to your own soul than you are consciously aware of. But if you reach for too much of a good thing, or starve yourself with too little, you’ll lose that critical balance.”
Scroll down to read the album’s full tracklist and pre-order Soberish here.
Soberish:
“Spanish Doors”
“The Game”
“Hey Lou”
“In There”
“Good Side”
“Sheridan Side”
“Ba Ba Ba”
“Soberish”
“Soul Sucker”
“Lonely Street”
“Dosage”
“Bad Kitty”
“Rain Scene”
