The Way It Really Is

The Way It Really Is is the fifth solo album by Lisa Loeb, released in 2004 by Zoë/Rounder.

The Way It Really Is
Studio album by Lisa Loeb
Released	August 10, 2004
Genre	Folk
Length	37:07
Label	Zoë
Producer	Lisa Loeb, Dave Bassett, Chad Fischer, John Shanks, Dweezil Zappa, Jimmy Harry
Lisa Loeb chronology
Catch the Moon (2003) The Way It Really Is (2004) The Very Best of Lisa Loeb (2005)

The album title got its title from a previous song by Loeb, "The Way It Really Is" despite that song not appearing on this album.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	B[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]

Although the album was not as commercially successful as its predecessors, it was very well received by some critics who noted on the mature and strong writing by Loeb,^[2] with Stephen Thomas Erlewine calling it "the best, most cohesive record she's made, a clean, crisp collection of well-crafted, gentle tunes that slowly, surely work into the subconscious."^[1]

Track listing

1. "Window Shopping" (Dave Bassett, Lisa Loeb) – 3:17
2. "I Control the Sun" (Dave Bassett, Loeb) – 3:01
3. "Hand-Me-Downs" (Stephanie Bentley, Loeb) – 3:42
4. "Fools Like Me" (Loeb, Shelly Peiken, John Shanks) – 3:38
5. "Try" (Loeb) – 4:13
6. "Diamonds" (Loeb) – 3:04
7. "Would You Wander" (Loeb, Maia Sharp) – 3:33
8. "Probably" (Jimmy Harry, Loeb, Billy Steinberg) – 3:04
9. "Accident" (Loeb) – 4:04
10. "Lucky Me" (Loeb) – 2:29
11. "Now I Understand" (Loeb, Dweezil Zappa) – 3:07

Bonus track on the Japanese edition

12. "This Isn't Happening"

Personnel

• Chad Fischer - producer (tracks 3, 9), engineer (tracks 3, 7, 9), piano on "Hand-Me-Downs"
• Larry Goldings - piano on "Accident"
• Mark Meadows - bass (tracks 1, 2, 6, 8, 11)
• Dweezil Zappa - electric guitar (tracks 2, 6, 11)