Liz Phair, the one-time princess of indie rock, has had a long, strange trip since the release of her unquestioned masterpiece, Exile in Guyville. Though her first fans wanted more of the album’s raw and confessional rock music, Phair’s follow-ups saw her morph from the thinking man’s sex symbol to a major label product and Stuff model. If Phair can be taken at her word, however, her sojurn in the musical wilderness may be ending. The singer says that her ATO debut, due out this fall, is a return to her earlier form:

"It's not going to be Guyville again, but I'm using all my tools. I keep pulling it out of producers' hands, before they can do anything. It has mistakes in it. It has layered background vocals of mine that just make an overall slop, but it's perfect slop. It's a fucking mind-bending experience after the last 14 years. Even when I was with Matador, combined with other labels, there were so many chefs in the kitchen. I'm working exactly the way I want to work.”

While the proof will come with the release of the of the as yet untitled album, hearing such sentiments from Phair might mean she's relocated her voice. It would be unfair to expect another Exile in Guyville, but after two disappointing albums, any sign of a return to form has to be encouraging. [Billboard]