ABBEY STELL
Staff Writer
Nine-time Grammy-award winner Sheryl Crow reaches back to her acoustic-folk roots with her sixth studio album release, ‘Detours,” through A&M Records. The album marks the second one Crow has made with producer Bill Bottrell, who also produced her 1993 smash hit debut album, “Tuesday Night Music Club.”
This 15-track album features 14 tracks of original lyrics and music composed by Crow and Bottrell, as well as a cover of Jackson Browne’s “Doctor My Eyes.”
But Crow’s new album does not follow the lead of her past creations. Instead of showing off her rock inspiration, this album steps into the pop genre. Despite her genre change, listeners will still get what they expect from Crow, and even more.
Crow is able to evoke such powerful feelings and emotions in all her songs. Similar to her past albums, “Detours” features songs with a variety of styles. Some tracks, like “Make it Go Away,” a song in which Crow somberly pours out her heart regarding her recent bout with breast cancer, elicit depressing moods. Others, such as “Love is Free,” are very free-spirited and uplifting.
Her diversity is one of the elements of her music that delights listeners. Though each song has its own unique style, they all comfort listeners with that classic Crow sound.
In “Detours,” Crow gives listeners songs that are not only soulful and insightful, but thought-provoking as well. The songs’ messages seem to reflect events that have happened to her as well as in the world around her in recent years.
Many have bold political messages such as “Shine Over Babylon,” which says, “Freedoms etched on sacred pillars hollow stones of mindless fillers can lead to madman oil drillers won’t be long before we all are killers,” undoubtedly referring to her opinions on the war in Iraq.
“God Bless This Mess,” though possessing a beautiful acoustic-folk sound, talks about the events of September 11, and some of the effects the Iraq war has had on families.
“I heard about the day that two skyscrapers came down … and the body count did rise … the president spoke words of comfort with teardrops in his eyes. Then, he led us as a nation into a war all based on lies.”
“Gasoline,” another track with a strong political message, says, “You got the bastards in Washington afraid of popping that greed vein ’cause the money’s in the pipeline and the pipeline’s running dry.”
Crow also raises her voice on a new message she has not expressed in previous albums. In the track “Peace Be Upon Us,” Crow speaks out with a surface-level Biblical message. She sings, “If we speak in the tongues of love but kill in the name of God, how can we profess to own his name and still be so lost?”
Lyrics from the song “Out of Our Heads” also ring a Biblical bell. Here Crow refers to the “children of Abraham.”
“Peace be Upon Us” even features lyrics in Arabic sung by guest singer Ahmed Al Hirmi. In English the lyrics translate to “The meek shall inherit the Earth,” which many listeners might recognize as verse 37:11 from the book of Psalms.
Aside from the lyrics, “Shine Over Babylon” and “Peace Be Upon Us” bring listeners back to Crow’s characteristic musical style, resembling Crow’s classics, “Every Day is a Winding Road” and “Leaving Las Vegas.”
Three tracks that are somewhat annoying and are not likely to fall pleasantly upon listeners’ ears are “Diamond Ring,” “Make it Go Away” and “Now that You’re Gone.” None showcase Crow’s true talent.
Nevertheless, “Detours” provides yet another example of Crow’s wide-spread appeal, vocal ability and personal insight to the world.
02-14-2008