Love is all there is for Sheryl Crow this time around on Detours

When Sheryl Crow released Wildflowerin 2005 I tried my absolute hardest to like that album but only managed to get lukewarm feelings for it. Wildflower was her art album which unfortunately for her translated into boring. So when I heard a new album was coming out a couple of months ago I didn't know if I should have some anticipation or if it would be another art album. Never fear though, the Sheryl Crow we know and love is here and representing. Detours is her best album since Sheryl Crow with melodies that are engaging, lyrics that mean something and music that sounds good.

"I heard about the day that two skyscrapers came down
Firemen, policemen, people came from all around
The smoke covered the city and the body count did rise
And the president spoke words of comfort with teardrops in his eyes
And he led as a nation into a war based on lies.
God bless this mess."

Recording in a very basic, old-fashioned way with only the strumming of an acoustic guitar to accompany her, Crow opens the album with "God Bless This Mess". Although politically charged, it's not quite a protest song but its definitely a commentary and if there was ever a doubt where Crow stands on the war the cats out of the bag now.
It's a great song even if you don't agree with she's saying. There's more passion going on in this song than most of her last album.

"Shine Over Babylon" is an interesting choice as first single because even though its a great song its definitely not the most listener friendly because of the lyrics. It's your basic guitar, some light percussion and the song feels very spiritual. It's my least favorite song on the album but its still a good song.

"Love Is Free" is such a happy, carefree song and one Sheryl Crow pulls off with vibrancy. It's a song about New Orleans and I love how she can pack such meaning into such a spirited, little gem of a song. She really seems to capture the spirit of New Orleans in the midst of devestation and abandonment. "Peace Be Upon Us" is classic Crow with its frolicking, feel good vibe. It's a bit hippy chick but I love it. A warm vibraphone, a hand clap and some percolating guitar is all it takes to get the groove going.

"Gasoline" is her green song so to speak and it's actually pretty condemning as she takes the perspective of the future and depicting a time when people revolution for fuel like they did for black tea. It's powerful and interesting. "Gasoline will be free, will be free yeah" is her warcry and she gets onto somebody about not tapping into the green vein. I have to say environmental stuff is not one of my big political concerns right at this second but she makes several points Al Gore would appreciate.

"Detours" is a beautiful little ballad with a gentle guitar counter melody and Crow's vocals are intimate and personal. "Now what do I do with this sweet love of mine, do I give it away and hope someday I'll find, someone half as awake as the moon and the stars. Mother teach me to love with a paper thin heart." When thought about in the light of her relationship with Lance Armstrong and in any relationship you might be in and it's a powerful song. Pair that with the bitter "Diamond Ring" and you have a picture of grieving a relationship loud and clear. Vocally Diamond Ring doesn't have the best vocal but the raspy, slightly out of range singing seems to fit the whole concept of the song. She's angry, bitter and it comes through every aspect of the song. She basically sings about how she lost the relationship by expecting a commitment.

"Make It Go Away" is a song about radiation therapy and I personally think it's a powerful, vulnerable song. You can feel her confusion, fear as she fights for her life and asks how she can just make this all go away. It's has a bit of a blues vibe and it's a somber as she says "I crawl into my circumstance, lay on the table begging for another chance, I was a good girl now I can't understand". "Lullaby for Wyatt" is an interesting juxtaposition as she sings about the little son she adopted. It's a beautiful song, filled with the tenderness of a mother and child. You can sense Crow's since of how fragile it all is. "Love is letting go and this I know, you were mine for a time." It sounds like it might have written when her own life was still so uncertain and its unbelievably poignant. "Drunk With The Thought Of You" has a folk feel reminescent of Joni Mitchell but instead of her flighty soprano we have Crow's more rugged alto and it's a fantastic song.

Overall, Detours is a fantastic album and there isn't a bad song in the bunch. Every song says something different, sounds different and is an example of excellent songwriting. Basically this is everything that Wildflower wasn't. This and her sophomore effort or vying for best album of her career and I wouldn't want to make the call.
One call I feel pretty confident making is that this is going to be one of the best albums of 2008.