Freewheelin' Woman

by Jewel

Overview

Seven years after rebooting her career with the vaguely back-to-basics Picking Up the Pieces, Jewel declares she's a Freewheelin' Woman, making an ebullient, eclectic album to match. Although the record does have a couple of quieter, reflective moments reminiscent of her folky beginnings, Freewheelin' Woman is anchored in soul and stretches out toward pop, moving quickly through all the byways separating the styles. Jewel sings about heartbreak a fair amount here, yet the record never seems heavy or sad. Take "Living with Your Memory," a brassy exercise in prime Muscle Shoals R&B: her clever spin is that the memory loves her stronger and longer than any man ever could. Jewel doesn't always indulge in a joke. Presented here as a duet with Darius Rucker, "No More Tears (Theme from Lost in America)" -- an anthem for a 2018 documentary about homelessness, not a chestnut from the classic 1985 Albert Brooks comedy -- is as earnest as she ever gets, as is the melancholy lament "When You Loved Me." These moments function as texture and color on an album that takes the sentiment of "Dance Sing Laugh Love" to heart: it's a bright, cheerful bit of self-empowerment that is as infectious as it is positive. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/21/2022
Label:	Orchard / Words Matter Media
UPC:	0196626424341
Rank:	60680

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jewel   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Aaron Embry   Piano,Keyboards
Paul Bryan   Bass
Butch Walker   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Keyboards,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Val McCallum   Guitar
The Watson Twins   Vocals (Background)
Train   Vocals
Karl Hunter   Horn
Darius Rucker   Vocals,Featured Artist
Mark Stepro   Drums
Solomon Dorsey   Congas,Percussion
Jacob Scesney   Horn
Ruben Salinas   Horn

Technical Credits

Steve Poltz   Composer
Chris Dugan   Mixing
Jewel   Composer
Emily Lazar   Mastering
Butch Walker   Engineer,Producer
Sam Hollander   Composer
Dave Bassett   Composer
Tommee Profitt   Composer
Grant Michaels   Composer
Todd Stopera   Assistant Engineer
Chris Allgood   Mastering
Dana Trippe   Design,Photography
Jasper Graham   Package Design
Lee Turner   Vocal Producer