Meredith Brooks

Meredith Brooks is one of the legions of female singer-songwriters that emerged in the wake of alternative rockers like Liz Phair and PJ Harvey. Brooks has more in common with rootsier songwriters like Sheryl Crow or pop-rockers like Alanis Morrissette, which was evident from her first single, “Bitch.” Essentially a replication of Morrissette’s style, “Bitch” became a hit in the spring of 1997, sending her debut album Blurring the Edges into the charts as well. Ironically, Brooks' music and background were nothing like that of Morrisette. Born and raised in Oregon, she became fascinated with music as a child, eventually discover blues, R&B and classic rock as a teenager. She learned how to play guitar and began writing songs as a teen. She continued to play and write in her twenties, eventually signing a contract with Capitol Records and releasing her debut, Blurring the Edges, in the spring of 1997. The delightful second album Deconstruction followed in 1999. Three years later, Brooks reshaped her adult-contemporary sound for Bad Bad One. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine