Sheryl Crow "Detours" A&M Sounds like: A date with mainstream pop that went awry and ended with Crow slapping it in the face.
Sheryl Crow herself probably couldn't have predicted this album as the next step in her career - it is transparently a product of the twists and turns her life has taken in the past few years. There's no mistaking that "Diamond Ring" results from her breakup with Lance Armstrong, "Make it Go Away (Radiation Song)" deals with her bout with cancer and "Lullaby for Wyatt" is dedicated to the new man in her life (Crow adopted a son last year).
The tracks on the album that aren't renderings of events that were all over the tabloids are mostly political, dealing with events like the war in Iraq and the disaster in New Orleans.
The album is, in large part, a return to Crow's early work, as she welcomes back "Tuesday Night Music Club" producer Bill Bottrell, allowing her to release her eclecticism on the world, being perhaps slightly less market-cognizant than on her other recent albums.
"God Bless This Mess," muted and raw, projects the folk image the album attempts, successfully introducing the highly personal with the highly political while still inviting enough not to scare its listeners off.
Amid her self-exploration, Crow manages to appeal to fans with tracks that are almost purely her customary brand of pop music, like "Love is Free" and "Love Is All There Is."
Fans of Crow's early work will be pleased to see her returning to a more organic, unique sound, while fans of her most recent albums might wonder where the easily digestible pop snack has gone. Either way, the departure is mostly refreshing and will likely result in commercial success.
-MADALYN WASILCZUK
