R*Philippines
12-18-2006, 10:37 PM
Reviews
SOUND CHECK
Manila Bulletin (http://www.mb.com.ph/) (Philippines)
Entertainment Section, Page G-2
04 March 2002
By Jojo P. Panaligan
Jewel's 'This Way' steps in the right direction
Sound advice:
"This Way"
Jewel
Warner Music
Rating: +++++
It actually took me some time to rate this because I thought the first single, "Standing Still," indicated that Jewel was shifting to a more pop stance in order to be more competitive. I wasn't sure I liked that.
After weeks of listening to the songs over and over, however, I say that, yes, this is Jewel's most pop work to date and, yes again, the sound more competitive vis-a-vis other chic artists. "This Way" differs from her past albums in that the artist was more open to infect the tunes with various influences as required. unlike before when everything was so spare (Jewel and just her guitar almost all the time), this album sees Jewel more adept in drawing the line between a recording sound from the live one. Thus, the electronicatinged "Jesus Loves You" and "Break Me" and rock based "Everybody Needs Someone Sometime" and "Do You Want To Play," among others, gave songs more layers than Jewel would be expected of before. Result? A more stimulating outing.
The nuances of Jewel's voice remains intact and as expressive. She can be sad ("Break Me"), urgent ("Standing Still"), tongue-in-cheek ("Love Me, Just Leave Me Alone") and thoughtful ("Serve The Ego") and God knows what else. Her lines are still framed poetically; if they are more colloquial, it certainly did not detract from the artful interplay of words.
Songs here are easy to like-and that's why I had second thoughts initially. Most were written in safe progression (in the tradition that Jewel is strongly identified with) while melodies are hook-oriented and recalls that clamp on your brain almost immediately. But I realized that, perhaps, Jewel is going through a happier phase than before, thus, the embodiment in her songs.
In conclusion, she's still true to herself only more musically accessible. I like that.
SOUND CHECK
Manila Bulletin (http://www.mb.com.ph/) (Philippines)
Entertainment Section, Page G-2
04 March 2002
By Jojo P. Panaligan
Jewel's 'This Way' steps in the right direction
Sound advice:
"This Way"
Jewel
Warner Music
Rating: +++++
It actually took me some time to rate this because I thought the first single, "Standing Still," indicated that Jewel was shifting to a more pop stance in order to be more competitive. I wasn't sure I liked that.
After weeks of listening to the songs over and over, however, I say that, yes, this is Jewel's most pop work to date and, yes again, the sound more competitive vis-a-vis other chic artists. "This Way" differs from her past albums in that the artist was more open to infect the tunes with various influences as required. unlike before when everything was so spare (Jewel and just her guitar almost all the time), this album sees Jewel more adept in drawing the line between a recording sound from the live one. Thus, the electronicatinged "Jesus Loves You" and "Break Me" and rock based "Everybody Needs Someone Sometime" and "Do You Want To Play," among others, gave songs more layers than Jewel would be expected of before. Result? A more stimulating outing.
The nuances of Jewel's voice remains intact and as expressive. She can be sad ("Break Me"), urgent ("Standing Still"), tongue-in-cheek ("Love Me, Just Leave Me Alone") and thoughtful ("Serve The Ego") and God knows what else. Her lines are still framed poetically; if they are more colloquial, it certainly did not detract from the artful interplay of words.
Songs here are easy to like-and that's why I had second thoughts initially. Most were written in safe progression (in the tradition that Jewel is strongly identified with) while melodies are hook-oriented and recalls that clamp on your brain almost immediately. But I realized that, perhaps, Jewel is going through a happier phase than before, thus, the embodiment in her songs.
In conclusion, she's still true to herself only more musically accessible. I like that.