Melissa Etheridge: The Awakening : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

On her first album since being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, Melissa Etheridge finds both a depth and an ease that eluded her on previous releases. She's never had a problem with passion -- which is still present in boatloads here -- but now she has discovered restraint, fun and the joys of pop. "Message to Myself," the album's first single, borrows sunny harmonies and a catchy chorus from the Beatles, while a Stones-ish country-rock riff drives "Threesome," a sly paean to fidelity.

Unsurprisingly, spirituality and a regard for life in the here and now suffuse the album as well. "Imagine That" protests the Iraq War and lauds Cindy Sheehan, and "What Happens Tomorrow" envisions a more equitable world. Quieter moments like "A Simple Love," "I've Loved You Before" and "All There Is" establish the place of individual relationships and universal love in our lives. None of this feels abstract. Etheridge's conviction -- not to mention her muscular band -- conveys urgency, not piety. Her illness means she's earned the right to explore the big picture. But even if you had no idea of what Etheridge has been through, The Awakening would still rock your world.