Perfectly Clear (Valory): B+
Producer John Rich (of Big & Rich) dresses Jewel in every
imaginable cowgirl style and the Alaskan songstress looks damn good in every one of them. Indeed, she sounds at home on the range in these twangy environs, which isn’t all that shocking given commercial country’s widened scope; much of Jewel’s catalog could qualify as country these days, even though it may not have when originally released. What is surprising is the trite songwriting that weakens her debut indie set. But she makes up for it with positive, fem-empowering messages infrequently aired in Nashville, where “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” still wins every time. Download: “Anyone But You.”
CHRISTOPHER JOHN TREACY
