Singer-Songwriters : Detours

Detours

CDN$ 4.98

  1. God Bless This Mess
  2. Shine Over Babylon
  3. Love is Free
  4. Peace Be Upon Us
  5. Gasoline
  6. Out Of Our Heads
  7. Detours
  8. Now That You re Gone
  9. Drunk With The Thought Of You
  10. Diamond Ring
  11. Motivation
  12. Make It Go Away (Radiation Song)
  13. Love Is All There Is
  14. Lullaby For Wyatt

Thematically, Detours may not seem like much of a detour to Sheryl Crow fans. Her politics pour out of these songs the way you might expect them to if you caught wind of her epic cross-country bus trip, with the activist Laurie David, to promote environmental awareness months prior to this release. From the quiet, faraway-sounding opener God Bless This Mess--a novel in a song--to the catchy but thought-provoking Gasoline, it s clear that Crow has more on her mind these days than soaking up the sun or having a little fun, à la the Tuesday Night Music Club era. Yet there s not a groan-worthy song on this standout rock/pop/folk/blues album. If the themes are heavy (in addition to the political songs, there s an almost painfully tender lullaby for her son Wyatt and one, Make It Go Away [Radiation Song], that touches on her breast-cancer experience), the mood is cathartic, determined, hopeful at times and sad at others. Now That You re Gone grabs at clarity through the clouds of a devastating love affair and gets it, and Peace Be Upon Us picks apart pettiness and arrives at a wide-minded beauty. George Harrison seems present in some of these songs, especially the more personal ones (Drunk with the Thought of You, Love Is All There Is). And that may be the highest compliment that Sheryl Crow, who seems to admire his gentle soul and shares his big heart, could ask for. --Tammy La Gorce

Sheryl gets political - Once upon a time, rock music and politics were closely linked together. There were always some pop entertainers, and somewhere in there you had the musicians who also strived to get a social message out there. In these days when speaking your mind often equals getting banned at radio stations (thus losing the most direct promotion an artist can get), the latter category of artists are unfortunately a dying breed. Or are they ?With Detours, Sheryl Crow easily walks from being a pop entertainer to being a singer-songwriter with something to say. And although this album certainly holds its share of more personal songs (the bluesy Diamond ring and Now that you re gone, the beautiful Lullaby for Wyatt and the emotionally turmoiled Make it go away), it s clear that the political songs are the ones that come forward. Songs like Gasoline, Love is free, Shine over Babylon, Peace be upon us, Motivation, Out of our heads and the stunning opener God bless this mess carry uncensored social and political messages that, whether you agree or not with them, have the merit of being sincere and straightforward. The album is divided between Sheryl s trademark rockers (Out of our heads, Love is free, Motivation and Love is all there is are especially catchy) and midtempo numbers. Although this work is not as melodic as 2005 s Wildflower, the production is effective and Sheryl s voice has never sounded more flexible.It s quite telling that the album has been getting almost no airplay in Sheryl s home country. There are obviously many people disagreeing with her view, just as there are certainly a lot of people who feel that artists should not speak their mind on political issues. But whether or not one agrees with the messages on this album, it certainly cannot hurt to take a listen.

Better Than Wildflower...but... - Come on Sheryl Crow - when are you going to rock it out again?Although this album is immensely better than her previous set, Wildflower it still falls way short of her mid to late 90 s rock and pop albums. It is way too political and wishy washy for mainstream.However, that being said, there are a few gems on it. Detours, Out of Our Heads, Gasoline, Love Is Free, Love Is All There Is are all quite excellent songs, and worthy of Sheryl Crow s rock status.It is unfortunate however, that cuts such as Diamond Ring (which is so annoying I get a headache), Peace Be Upon Us (sung in different languages), and Now That You re Gone made the album. These songs feel like scrapped B sides from years ago.God Bless This Mess, Shine Over Babylon, Motivation and Lullabye for Wyatt are ok - but not up to the standard that she has set.So would I recommend this album? Yes - because of the songs that I mentioned were awesome. Just skip passed the songs that I said are horrible. And C mom C mon Sheryl, lets rock again sometime!

Her most personal album to date. - Sheryl has raised the bar by some height. Lyrically, the album is the most politically and personally outspoken record of her career, addressing the current state of the world from different perspectives as well as some of the personal challenges she s faced over the last few years.The big news here is that Crow reunites with Tuesday Night producer Bill Bottrell for a set of equally catchy pop/rock songs (one features Arabic vocals from guest singer Ahmed Al Hirmi).Crow s believability comes into question on political songs like the folky album opener, the Dylan-ish God Bless This Mess in which she slams President Bush for leading a nation into a war all based on lies or Love Is Free, a post-Katrina New Orleans ditty.Lullaby for Wyatt (from the soundtrack to the John Cusack film Grace Is Gone) is Crow s love song to her son, and what s beautiful about it is her frank uncertainty about how to guide this little creature through such a messed-up world.You are mine, for a time, Crow breathes as her baby cries in the background, a good-enough mother already realizing that she s going to have to let go. Gasoline, meanwhile, is a futuristic ode about a revolution over high gas prices.She is much better off on a harmonious George Harrison pastiche such as Out of Our Heads or the plush, melodic pop of the title track.Her voice is so singular that she can be identified within the first couple of notes. On this CD Crow s blend of her vocal delivery, signature guitar-strumming and her chops as songwriter creates something beautiful and compelling.The album, which in the end remains spiritually hopeful, retains the raw freshness of Bottrell s Tuesday Night Music Club.The highlights are the catchy Out of Our Heads and Detours.You will love this different and fresh album.




Detours