Jewel: Perfectly Clear
Editorial
A far cry from the success of her multi-million-selling 1995 debut, Pieces Of You, American folkster Jewel has seemed somewhat rudderless in recent years. First she released an album of electro-pop which, while undeniably strong, succeeded in alienating a lot of her fanbase; then came a stint on the US Dancing With The Stars, followed by a collection of children's lullabies (odd, seeing as she doesn't have children of her own), and now, following in the footsteps of Jessica Simpson (and let's face it, when is that ever a good thing), a country and western album.
Released a year ago in the US, that the album is only surfacing now in this country is an unfortunate indication of just how far Jewel's star has fallen, much like fellow female 1990's singer-songwriters Alanis Morrisette and Tori Amos: while Jewel's debut went six-times platinum here, her last release barely troubled the charts. In truth, Jewel's turn to country isn't a huge leap from much of her previous material: many early hits like You Were Meant For Me had a tinge of country and western. And while this album might not reach the same huge audience as her earlier work, it's an undeniably strong record, and one that shows she may have found a new home on country airwaves.
First single Stronger Woman is the sort of candyfloss commercial country song that teen Taylor Swift would take straight to number one, while Two Become One, which first appeared as a booming power ballad on her aforementioned electro-pop album, gets worked over here in a softer, string-led style. Tunes like Loved By You (Cowboy Waltz) and Rosey and Mick prove that, for an Alaskan, she can adopt a believable Nashville twang.
Best of all is the acoustic closer; Perfectly Clear harks back to her biggest hit, Foolish Games, both with her impassioned vocal performance and her trademark bittersweet, world-weary lyrics.
Tracks:
1. Stronger Woman
2. I Do
3. Love is a Garden
4. Rosey & Mick
5. Anyone But You
6. Thump, Thump
7. Two Become One
8. Till It Feels Like Cheating
9. Everything Reminds Me of You
10. Loved By You (Cowboy Waltz)
11. Perfectly Clear
12. Stronger Woman
Nick Bond, June 2009
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