From the first time that I heard “Folish Games” by Jewel I thought her music felt more ‘country’ than mainstream pop or at the very least country in the way that any folk/pop album could be country.  The lyrics of almost all of Jewel’s albums haven’t ever felt like the kind of stuff that mainstream pop or rock would consist of and while she fit well within the Lilith Fair set, Jewel always felt like an odd pop star.  So when she came to country music with Perfectly Clear in 2008, the ‘crossover’ felt genuine and, well, downright expected.   A moderate success, that album set Jewel up for her 2010 release Sweet and Wild, her second for The Valory Music Company. 

While Jewel has always been more myth than legend in the context of her ‘starving artist’ homelessness and Alaskan roots, she’s constantly showcased a willingness to write music that may not be what people perceive her to be. When listening to Sweet and Wild one thing that’s evident is the strong, strong voice that Jewel possesses.  It may be more ‘folksy’ than ‘powerful’ but that doesn’t mean that Jewel cannot ‘belt’ out a tune.   “No Good In Goobdye” finds Jewel playfully wanting her man to stick around even though he clearly wants to go.  She says that she used to revel in being the one who breaks up but sees the err in her ways (living alone) and pleads for the man to stay.  The production from Nathan Chapman is ‘mainstream’ but like he does with Taylor Swift, the sonicscapes never override the lyrics.  “Fading” is quite an interesting song in that Jewel sings of an abstract moment of a woman realizing her youthfulness has ended and in this fleeting moment of insanity (or a heart attack perhaps), she feels like her life has ended.  It’s an interesting song that is perhaps to abstract for country radio but it’s one of the better songs that I’ve heard released on a country record (or pop/rock record for that matter) this year.  

“Summer Home In Your Arms” is a sweet and playfully melodic ballad about how comfortable Jewel feels in the arms of her man (Ty Murray).  “Bad As It Gets” is the only tune not written or co-written by Jewel on the record but it may also be the most ‘mainstream’ tune on the record.  “What You Are” is a song that is uplifting reminder to people everywhere that they don’t have to dress or act a certain way and that things will be what they’ll be.  It’s the kind of song that works well and was co-written with Dave Berg (“Stupid Boy”).

There is a special edition of Sweet and Wild that includes a whole disc of acoustic versions of each song on the record and what’s interesting is that many of the tunes, including the lead-singles “Stay Here Forever” and “Satisfied” sound better than the studio versions.  They keep the melody but they showcase Jewel’s songwriting and vocals all the better without the gloss of a Nashville studio recording (even if Nathan Chapman’s main disc isn’t nearly as glossy as some recordings are).  In the end Jewel may never be the huge radio star like Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift but her brand of folk-country is certainly something that fits in nicely with these two artists while also showcasing an artist whose wholly aware her place in the world and at the top of her game.

You can support Jewel by purchasing this album at Amazon | iTunes.

You may also purchase the deluxe edition at Amazon CD | Amazon mp3 | iTunes.