Ok. So I got up early and immediately downloaded Detours from iTunes. Now I have listened to it once and am going for a second listen.
The Good
It doesn’t sound like rehashed seventies pop-songs (a la songs like Steve Mcqueen or Hard to Make a Stand). This is a major improvement over her last few albums. Also Bill Bottrell’s arrangements are significantly less stupid and less bubble-gummy than the stuff on C’mon C’mon. So I really like that. It doesn’t sound as unique as Tuesday Night Music Club, but I can live with that. This is definitely a move in the right direction for an artist who has played it safe for too long.
The Bad
Compliments aside, this album has one significant problem: too many of the lyrics sound like teenage girl poetry. These songs are full of big concepts with very little detail. For example, the opening lyrics of Make it Go Away: “I stare into / some great abyss / and calculate / the things I’d miss” I mean what exactly am I supposed to do with that, wear black lipstick and tell my parents that they just don’t understand me?
The Ugly
There’s nothing ugly about Sheryl Crow. She’s the most beautiful woman on Earth.
I found this reveiw really helpful, I have definitely been looking for some new sheryl crow…that sounds more like old sheryl crow. Thanks!