Cut You

Signed to Reprise Records by her old acquaintance Howie Klein, Houston composed six new songs, while adding more instrumentation to her rerecorded older ones.[8] The album was produced by Houston and Jeffrey Wood.[9] Reprise asked Houston to withdraw "Cut You"; she instead made it the title track.[10] "Secret Sign" is about a run-in with a ex's new girlfriend.[11]

No Depression thought that Houston's songs "tend to involve many nameless, spiritually wiped-out characters captured in moments of particular drama ... instead of telling the whole story as a traditional folksinger might, Houston is more of a tour guide."[4] Trouser Press deemed the album "a solid cross-section of her material ... the playing and recording quality are absolutely vibrant and Houston sings as wonderfully as ever."[15] The Chicago Tribune concluded that Houston "goes well beyond empowerment, penning lyrics as smart as they are wicked."[13] The Los Angeles Times wrote that "'Locket' glides along to a Latin-tinged beat while the title track, with its light country twang and darkly comic lyric, evokes a vindictive, post-punk incarnation of Patsy Cline."[14]

Tulsa World stated that "the songs are built around intricate lyrical jabs and worldly insights."[16] The Washington Post determined that "what's most impressive about Cut You is Houston's vivid depictions of women who are attempting to square their reality with sometimes fading desires and dreams."[17] Rolling Stone opined that "Houston ties it together with gossamer vocals and lyrics that invert the accusations of punk."[18] The Boston Globe called the album "mature rock with punk roots, soft songs with sting."[19]

AllMusic wrote that the album "offers proof that Houston helped pioneer the melodic-yet-hard-hitting alternative rock currently mined by such performers as Liz Phair and Aimee Mann."[12]