Published on Aug 29, 1999
“WE ARE LOVED BEYOND OUR ABILITY TO COMPREHEND” and other high
school yearbook quotes decorate the cover, and these are guarenteed
to turn off fashionable cynics and hardcore Tori Amos fans. Not to
diss either group of people, but this album just isn’t for them;
Jewel’s second effort is better appreciated by people who want
something simple, but not condescendingly so.
Spirit leans more to Barbra Streisand’s ’70s sound, a kind
of light poignance that gets its power from classical/folk guitar
arrangements and a pure-sounding voice. The songs are gorgeously
packaged by Patrick Leonard who also co-wrote the first single
“Hands”. There are a couple of more radio-friendly tunes but on the
whole,
Spirit doesn’t have many catchy hooks (the current
released-to-radio single “Jupiter” is a major rearrangement of the
album version) and it’s one of those albums that require repeated
listenings.
The album version of “Jupiter” is much less Celine Dion than its
radio release, much more folksy. Jewel’s lyrics are often
criticized but in the area of sensuality, she holds her own in this
song as well as “Enter From The East” and “Absence Of Fear”. It’s
when Jewel steps out of this realm where the lyrics tend to get a
little self-absorbed (“Twilight decends on our silhouette / how
soon spring comes / how soon spring forgets”) or plain boring (“The
more I live / the more I know / what’s simple is true / I love
you”).
My main complaints are with the “preachy” songs like “Innocence
Maintained”, “What’s Simple Is True” and the judgmental “Do You”,
that just plain irritate. Jewel’s didactic style wears thin after
the first couple of songs and it may turn you off the entire album,
and this is where she stands to lose. These songs are obviously
written not for herself but to impart; the exposition and lack of
subtlety can only work against her on this.
But for the most part, the melodies and arrangements are
elegant, if uninteresting at times. “Barcelona” with its dedicated
chorus is another song with good potential for radio. Jewel’s voice
is beautiful in her expert head-to-chest technique in songs like
“Kiss The Flame”, and she isn’t afraid to sound scratchy for the
sake of soul in “Down So Long”. There are no annoying vocal
showcases and the instrumental arrangements are clean, warmly
acoustic and textured. An a cappella track featuring Jewel’s mother
Nedra Carroll, Jewel’s mother, is an extra bonus in perfect
austerity.
Spirit is ultimately appreciated by listeners in search of
something meaningful but simple. It might not be easy to agree with
her a hundred percent but with a little absence of expectation,
Spirit can be enjoyable to anyone who’s finding
Little Earthquakes traumatic.