Where have all our pop stars gone? Seems like country music has been stealing a few of our decent pop singers away and now it looks like Jewel is stuck between a rock and a twang.
“Standing Still” is a sweetly seductive gem. It doesn’t take long for the country tick to attach itself. “Everybody Needs Someone Sometime” is pure country, and it’s disturbingly good. Somewhere in between country and pop comes the sassy “Do You Want To Play?”. “Love Me, Just Leave Me Alone” is pure Nashville rock ‘n’ roll confusion. It’s a blessed song that actually gives me hope that Jewel has another few albums left in her. “The New Wild West” is storytelling glory.
Off on some tangent is the eastern-flavored “Serve The Ego”. This song will wow you. The ballads come on surprisingly strong. “Break Me” is passionate without being sappy. Another lovely ballad, but more on the sappy side, is “This Way”.
There are two live tracks: “Grey Matter” and “Sometimes It Be That Way”. Both are nice, but can’t make up for seeing Jewel live.
Jewel has all the talent imaginable, a voice that is out of this world and the guitar skills that would put many stringers to shame. On occasion Jewel pens a sub par song and that concerned me most when I was readying myself for this album. This Way is in many ways a transition. It’s mature, it’s eclectic, it’s powerful, and it feels extremely soulful. For those who thought the spotlight had jaded a shining star, this album proves all the doubters wrong.
+ rae gun
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