| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that this album might inspire conversations about the power and neediness of love and the importance of maintaining your center and self-respect when starting a relationship.
Jewel's fifth CD, 0304, is as sweet as can be. Perfect for lovesick adolescent girls with "fragile hearts," the songs may induce insulin shock in the rest of the family. With co-producer Lester Mendez (known for working with Enrique Iglesias and Shakira), she infuses sincere lyrics and pure soprano vocals with a dance beat. Two tracks, "Stand" and "America," offer gentle pleas for nonviolence and political activism. Most of the other songs express romantic longing, or self-validating cheerleader peppiness. Sexuality is suggestive and metaphorical, leaving the listener discreetly outside the bedroom door. "Yes U Can" provides the most light-hearted fun, evoking fanciful disco-in-an-alternate-universe images.
Jewel's pop sound is energetic, but she takes few musical risks and is weak on originality, perhaps at the cost of appearing a bit like a Britney Spears/Madonna wannabe. The best moments are the most surprising ones: the lovely accordion solo at the beginning of "Intuition" and the good-natured creepiness of "Haunted" (Buffy fans take note). All in all, this is a slick, well-produced album by an apparently nice girl -- perhaps a bit too nice to pull off slick pop pretensions.
Families can talk about the political issues raised by some of the songs. It might also be fun to create a visual art project based on the imagery in "Haunted" or "Yes U Can."