Some of the most loved and remembered music from the ’90s are from the angst-y female rockers who captured the spotlight with festivals like Lillith Fair. Although most of those artists have died down in popularity, Sheryl Crow is still rocking out, six and 10 Grammys later.
“Detours” was recorded in Crow’s Nashville, Tenn., farm and is being labeled as a fairly political album.
Only Crow can spout off political messages in music with a fun melody and cheery choruses that stick in your head.
Over the years, Crow has maintained fans with her cheery rock and political activism. “Detours” does not disappoint in either respect. Her message is heard while giving the listener a dose of cheery rock.
This is especially evident through the single, “Love is Free.” The track has a light, feel-good tone with fluffy acoustics similar to her famous hit, “Soak Up the Sun.”
To See the Music Video for “Love is Free,” Click Here.
The chorus is infectious and will have you singing along: “Oh everybody/Devil take your money/Money got no hold on me/Oh oh/Everybody/Making love ’cause love is free.”
That being said, it’s initially hard to realize that the song was inspired by Hurricane Katrina if it weren’t for verses such as, “We go to town, no one’s around/’Cause if you drown, there ain’t no hope of coming back/It ain’t no big thing if you lose your faith/They kind of like to keep you in your place/You never know what might be coming your way.”
The first single from the album, “Shine Over Babylon,” is a return to folk rock with a tone similar to her ’90s hit, “All I Wanna Do.”
Crow describes it as “environmentally conscious, in the tradition of Bob Dylan.”
Crow’s lyrics ultimately mesh biblical and modern culture. The message is assisted by the melodies that escalate in energy, making you believe her every word.
The title track, “Detours,” doesn’t please as much as “Love is Free,” but it delivers yet another witty track with a calm melody and even calmer vocals.
It is followed by “Now That You’re Gone,” which is a better vocal showing for Crow with a more interesting melody and fun bass lines.
“This is the most honest record I’ve ever made. It’s about being forced to wake up,” Crow said of her album in published reports.
Crow uses “Detours” as a means to show listeners who she is, all the way down to the final track, “Lullaby for Wyatt.”
Filled with parental wisdom, hope and advice, the song really is a lullaby. Written for her infant son, “Lullaby” incorporates powerful guitar, as it plays a soothing melody, overpowered by Crow’s toned down voice. She sings the heart-filled lyrics with love to calm.
All in all, Crow provides another great album that is sure to garner her more Grammy nominations and, hopefully, another win.
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