Jewel - New Record OUT NOW!

The time has come and Jewel's lastest (6th) CD is finally out...although it technically isn't released here in the UK till the 15th May. However, it is available at cdwow.com NOW!

The record narrates how Jewel's life has come full-circle - from growing up with no plumbing on an Alaskan ranch, to living in her car in Hollywood, selling 11 million copies of her debut album and now living quietly on a Texan ranch.

Having sold 25 million records world wide, ‘Goodbye’ sees a return to Jewel's traditional folk-pop sound that many argued was absent from her last, ‘0304’. However, those people missed the irony of Jewel’s sentiments and a handful of brilliant folk-driven songs, one of which, ‘Fragile Heart’, has been re-worked for ‘Goodbye’.

Jewel initially produced this as an un-commercial country record but after meeting Rob Cavallo (Green Day), re-recorded it as the more radio-friendly but still honestly raw version available today. Jewel’s dry wit and irony are back with a vengeance, alongside haunting tales of carnival freaks and broken hearts. A couple of the songs could have been left alone a bit more but their gloss will inevitably spark broader appeal and Jewel never loses her legitimacy as one of the songwriters around today.

Title track, ‘Goodbye’ and first single ‘Again and Again’ are perfectly-crafted catchy acoustic-folk-pop tunes. Highlights include long-adored fan favourites ‘Satellite’ (although the original acoustic version was arguably simpler and more powerful), ‘Long Slow Slide’ and personal favourite, ‘Stephenville, TX’, which cynically ponders contemporary obsessions with celebrity.

The album gains tempo and full-band ‘big-chorus’ backing on ‘Only One Too’, a stomping guitar-driven rock/pop dynamo and ‘Drive To You’, a sensual but incessantly catchy driving song you can imagine listening to heading across Midwestern plains. ‘Last Dance Rodeo’s’ laid back modern beat undercuts its richly poetic lyrics and soaring chorus. This is followed by an assortment of sublime country-pop, reverential Joni-style ballads and finally, the sweet sentiments and guttural longings of the acoustic ‘1000 Miles Away’.

Overall, an excellent record that I shall be playing repeatedly for a looong time...or at least till The Wreckers' debut comes out on May 23rd!

A couple of old rare live versions of the song can be found below to tantalize you into buying the album:


1000 Miles Away

Long Slow Slide (Live)