Contributed By: Lion on The Table
Created On: Friday, 27 June 2008
Hits: 76
 Perfectly Clear "Perfectly Clear," singer-songwriter Jewel Kilcher's move into country music won't seem as surprising as that of, say, Bon Jovi. After all, she grew up in rural Alaska, she's an avid horsewoman with a long-running relationship with a rodeo star and early hits "Who Will Save Your Soul?" and "You Were Meant for Me" have more in common with recent country hits than with current pop music.
Jewel takes the reassignment seriously. She co-produced the album with John Rich of Big & Rich, wrote or co-wrote all but one of the 11 tracks, and will tour this summer with country star Brad Paisley. The strength of "Perfectly Clear," as with many contemporary country singers, comes from Jewel singing her own words. The best songs - "I Do," "Everything Reminds Me of You," "Til It Feels Like Cheating" - have a distinct and believable point of view, and the arrangements merge modern Nashville gloss with an acoustic base that works with Jewel's idiosyncratic, breathy voice.
Also, her typical lyrical slant - taking a positive yet earthy look at everyday life - fits country music as snugly as two Lego blocks locking together. Nothing on "Perfectly Clear" will separate Jewel from the pack as markedly as her first pop singles a dozen years ago. But her new album suggests her shift to country music could benefit both singer and genre.
Even if it doesn't sound more like a country album than any of her previous work, the best songs on Perfectly Clear do show an awareness of genre form that gives Jewel a more distinctive presence than many of her contemporaries on country radio—where, if more than three women (Jennifer Nettles, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift) regularly scored major airplay, lead single "Stronger Woman" might have peaked higher than #13. If she continues to refine her craft and works with a producer with better taste than Rich, there's reason to think that Jewel might actually record a legitimately excellent country record one day.
 
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