Detours : Sheryl Crow : Review : Rolling Stone

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans," John Lennon sang, and that lyric could stand as the theme of Detours, the powerful new Sheryl Crow album. What happened in Crow's case — the collapse of her engagement to Lance Armstrong ("Diamond Ring"), a bout with breast cancer ("Make It Go Away") and a world in meltdown ("Shine Over Babylon") — is intense but far from a laugh riot. "Now That You're Gone" and "Love Is All There Is" are the sort of big pop singles Crow is known for. For the most part, though, Detours is a relatively stripped-down affair.

The album was produced by Bill Bottrell, who also oversaw Crow's multiplatinum 1993 debut, Tuesday Night Music Club. Each track assumes its own sonic identity. "Peace Be Upon Us" mingles lush Arabic elements and psychedelic effects; "God Bless This Mess" features Crow accompanying herself on acoustic guitar and sounds as raw as a demo. The easy swing of "Love Is Free" balances the jittery rhythms and schoolyard chants of "Out of Our Heads." What holds these fourteen songs together is Crow's unwavering emotional commitment. She confronts both personal and political terrors, and emerges hopeful — getting where she needs to go, despite the detours.