Detours by: Sheryl Crow Thematically,
Detours may not seem like much of a detour to
Sheryl Crow fans. Her politics pour out of these songs the way you
might expect them to if you caught wind of her epic cross-country bus
trip, with the activist Laurie David, to promote environmental
awareness months prior to this release. From the quiet,
faraway-sounding opener "God Bless This Mess"--a novel in a song--to
the catchy but thought-provoking "Gasoline," it's clear that Crow has
more on her mind these days than soaking up the sun or having a little
fun, A la the
Tuesday Night Music Club era. Yet there's not a
groan-worthy song on this standout rock/pop/folk/blues album. If the
themes are heavy (in addition to the political songs, there's an almost
painfully tender lullaby for her son Wyatt and one, "Make It Go Away
[Radiation Song]," that touches on her breast-cancer experience), the
mood is cathartic, determined, hopeful at times and sad at others. "Now
That You're Gone" grabs at clarity through the clouds of a devastating
love affair and gets it, and "Peace Be Upon Us" picks apart pettiness
and arrives at a wide-minded beauty. George Harrison seems present in
some of these songs, especially the more personal ones ("Drunk with the
Thought of You," "Love Is All There Is"). And that may be the highest
compliment that Sheryl Crow, who seems to admire his gentle soul and
shares his big heart, could ask for.