Jewel

There's always been a lilting twang to Jewel's contemporary folkie vocals, so going country isn't much of a stretch for the Alaskan. It's the instrumentation (slide guitars, banjo, mandolin) that has changed more so than the artist herself. Jewel's sharp songwriting and storytelling skills remain intact -- Perfectly Clear is filled with lovely, poignant stories delivered with all the fluttering nuances of her distinctive voice. Highlights include the stunning "Anyone But You," the yodel-laced "Loved By You (Cowboy Waltz)," "Everything Reminds Me of You" and "Stronger Woman."

Jewel's life has always sounded like a country song: Raised by her cowboy dad and
discovered while she was homeless, she went on to sell 12 million copies of her debut,
only to become the butt of countless zingers. So Perfectly Clear, her first proper country
record, should have been her true calling to an art that's one part twang to two parts
self-mythology. But the album's biggest setback, other than the fact that its title s... More >