City Newspaper Archives - 2/2008
Sheryl Crow "Detours"
A&M Records
Published by Todd Rezsnyak on Feb 13, 2008
Light years removed from the atrocities of her two previous studio discs, "Detours" brings Crow back to the sound that suits her best....well, almost. While a couple tracks fall flat, Crow recaptures the bouncy, fun-yet-insightful style that first broke her 15 years ago ("Love is Free," "Gasoline"). But as a woman in her 40s, Crow deals more with personal struggles here instead of simply churning out more of the cute songs about everyday people that filled her first three albums.
Crow's songwriting remains top notch. Her ballads are more personal and stripped-down ("God Bless This Mess," "Detours"), while her politics are more inviting and pop-oriented than they've been in the past.
Her voice is starkly more confident and powerful than it has ever been, showing a range on "Now That You're Gone" and "Diamond Ring" that I never would have imagined possible back in her "Tuesday Night Music Club" days.
Here's hoping the follow-up doesn't suck.Article Photos
