Sheryl Crow: "Sheryl Crow"

On her latest, self-produced album, Sheryl Crow has steered clear of the "All I Wanna Do (Is Have Some Fun)" attitude of her 1993 debut, Tuesday Night Music Club, this time delivering a darker CD with smarter, better songs. Even with the album's first single, "If It Makes You Happy," Crow isn't exhibiting a frivolous "if it feels good, do it" attitude, but questioning when happiness is genuine. Sheryl's ability to incorporate and reinvent the Rolling Stones and other classic rock bands has improved, and can be clearly discerned in the "Sympathy For The Devil"-inspired "Everyday Is A Winding Road," and "Hard To Make A Stand," which borrows guitar riffs from the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane." There are several exceptional songs on this album, and a few great lines too, as heard on "A Change," which takes a catty swipe at supermodels with prose like, "God's little gift is on the rag." Don't skip the funking "Love Is A Good Thing," where we get to hear what Crow learned while singing backing vocals on Michael Jackson's 1987-88 Bad tour, and luscious ballads such as "Oh Marie" and "Home," a touching story about a dissolving family.

from CMJ New Music Report