Album Review: Pink - I'm Not Dead (4/5)

Pink, or rather "P!nk" as she goes by is perfectly, cleverly encapsulated by her name. Feminine, yet rude, turning what you'd expect on its head just like that upside down "i" that makes an exclamation point makes a simple, powerful statement. On her fourth album, I'm Not Dead, P!nk delivers her best performance yet, blending rock, pop, and R&B sounds effortlessly like she did on her second album and making the statement she tried to make with her third album, Try This!, which ultimately flopped. Although a dyed-in-the-wool pop artist, P!nk is more punk than many punk bands without even really trying.

She starts the show with "Stupid Girls," a controversial, yet radio-friendly rant against dumb blondes that populate current pop culture. It's an effective and winning track--her best since "Just Like a Pill," the finale in the trio of brilliant singles from M!ssundaztood. She follows it with second single "Who Knew," a gentler mid-tempo number and piano-influenced "Long Way to Happy," another obvious single choice. In fact, few tracks disappoint on I'm Not Dead, which even wanders into folk and protest song territory--notably on "Dear Mr. President" a duet with the Indigo Girls--lesbian folk rockers with proven street cred--that is an unveiled shot against President Bush. The song is pretty, creative, and a refreshing surprise for a mainstream pop album, a genre that rarely, if ever, would attempt to tackle something so political. Also of interest is the folksy "I Have Seen the Rain," a hidden track duet with her father, Jim Moore, whom Pink explains in the intro wrote the song while he was in Vietnam. "The One That Got Away" is also a raw, folksy number, that showcases what a versatile vocalist Pink is. Whatever your politics or musical preference, it is notable for a pop album to experient in such an interesting manner.

Back to the more conventional fare. "Nobody Knows" is Pink's "Because of You," retreating to the depression/family problems territory she's previously covered in songs like "Family Portait." "Cuz I Can" sends Pink back to the dancefloor, territory she covered on her first Babyface-produced album Can't Take Me Home. "U + Ur Hand" is a tawdry rant against some jerky guy. "Centerfold" and "Fingers" are '80s-inspired dancefloor stuff--very Gwen Stefani. Clocking in at about an hour at 16 tracks (if you get the European version) there's something here for everyone, and amazingly, it all works pretty well.