 | Jewel
Spirit
label:
WEA/Atlantic
released: 11.17.98
our score: 3.5 out of 5.0
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| | We're
All OK
by:
mark feldman
| Our favorite
Alaskan log-cabin-bred, van-dwelling neo-hippie is back! Like
most overexposed pop stars, so much has been made of Jewel Kilcher’s
background and image that one almost forgets about what really
matters - the music. Jewel in particular is a victim of such false
publicity, since until now the only music of hers we were able
to hear was her debut album Pieces of You, which, in spite
of the fact that it was still spewing forth hit singles last year,
was written and released in 1994, when she was only 19 years old.
She has all but repudiated this album, which does contain many
worthwhile songs, but is very uneven and often downright naïve.
Not so Spirit.
Though the forced cuteness of Pieces of You still turns
up occasionally (the “boop-boop-be-do-yeah” at the beginning
of “Down So Long” is gag-inducing), Jewel has matured
considerably, and the lack of overproduction is a pleasant surprise.
Even the lead-off single, “Hands,” is quite listenable
- the “in the end, only kindness matters” bridge turns
the stomach a tad, but the song features a stately Tori Amos-esque
piano and an irresistible melody. The space-age-like “Jupiter”
is another terrific example of Jewel’s newfound ability to
extend her repertoire into slightly slicker pop without losing
sight of her acoustic roots. “Kiss the Flame” is also
excellent, featuring her most complex and honest lyrics to date.
“I want a brave love, one that makes me weak in the knees,”
she sings, “I’m tired of all these pilgrims, these puritans,
these thieves.” And you believe her.
Later on in
the album, the tempo slows down, but doesn’t drag even half
as much as it did on her first album, because the styles are so
varied. She waxes Rickie Lee Jones on “Fat Boy,” a true
story of a neighbor from her childhood who was teased about his
weight and eventually committed suicide. “Barcelona”
draws its roots from ‘70s singer/songwriter ballads, “Life
Uncommon” is more gospel-like, “Do You” is kind
of countryish, and “Enter from the East” is virtually
a whisper. There’s also an obligatory hidden track at the
end of the CD, a cute a cappella number most likely called “Little
Bird.”
But what Jewel
needs to be considered a true musical force is a lyrical vision
of her own. Too often, when a song of hers is on the verge of
brilliance, it stops short. “Fat Boy” evolves into a
meaningless cry of “oh, fragile flame” (in fact, she
uses the word “fragile” way too much on this disc in
general). “Jupiter” has to resort to a refrain of “oh-oh,
swallow the moon.” “Hands” concludes with the repetition
of “We are God’s hands / God’s eyes.” Even
when her songs resolve, as “Life Uncommon” and “Do
You” do, it’s usually with a message we’ve heard
before. Jewel does what she does extremely well, but as of now
she is a first-class follower rather than a leader. Still, if
her third album turns out to be as much an improvement over “Spirit”
as “Spirit” is over Pieces of You, we’re
in for a treat.
If you
liked Spirit...
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Tracklist:
1.
Deep Water
2. What's Simple Is True
3. Hands
4. Kiss The Flame
5. Down So Long
6. Innocence Maintained
7. Jupiter
8. Fat Boy
9. Enter From The East
10. Barcelona
11. Life Uncommon
12. Do You
13. Absence of Fear / This Little Bird
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