Perfectly Clear

I have always been a fan of Jewel's but I am really having a hard time with this CD. I just don't "feel" it. I think there are only 3 songs I kinda like on the CD. I usually feel confident buying her music but after this I will definetly be listening to samples beforehand from now on...

Well, the melodies on Jewel's songs are always catchy, albeit OH so predictable. But what puts them over the top are usually the lyrics. She is in many ways the original John Mayer (or at least a more feminine version of him, assuming such a thing is possible), she tried to emulate Ricki Lee Jones early in her career and sometimes came up short. But like Mayer (to whom also the lyrics "habba labba dabba dadda doddley dip dap day" actually constitutes the bridge of a song) she has managed to find her niche. She is talented, yes, and so is Mayer, and although the majority of their music is dreck, occasionally there are moments of artistic brilliance among the mess that their full-length records tend to be. "Perfecly Clear" has a few more of those moments. Ricki Lee Jones she is not, but settling into a career that fits alongside the Norah Joneses of the world suits her quite nicely.

This is a great CD. Jewel has done it again. I just love her voice and the lyrics to her songs.

I enjoyed hearing Jewel's new country CD. Every song is catchy and memorable. I have listened to it several times without growing tired of it. I only wish it were a little longer. It seems somewhat short.

First of all, I have been a huge fan of Jewel's since she emerged in the 1990's. I do not dislike Perfectly Clear, but I am not sure that I agree with the labeling of this album as country. While there are a few songs that are obviously influenced by country music, they are a few others that are folk-based songs not unlike those that have been recorded by Jewel in the past. All in all, I was expecting something different, something uniquely country. While I still enjoyed Jewel's folk sound, her unique and conversational lyrics, and her beautiful voice, this album left me puzzled by its labeling as a country record.