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What’s the Story?

Reviewed by Kathi Kamen Goldmark

It was more fun when Sheryl Crow thought of herself as a bad girl. The teensy bit of edgy, sexy attitude that made her past hits so unforgettable is nearly completely missing on WILDFLOWER, her sixth album.

Is It Any Good?

3

OK, so she's 43, and even rock stars ought to be allowed to settle down and grow up, right? Wildflower is gorgeously produced and performed, featuring lush string arrangements and some exquisite acoustic guitar. But one ballad after another, with some obvious vocal straining for the high notes involved, can get tedious even if it's magnificently produced, beautifully packaged, and expertly marketed -- and even if in theory Sheryl Crow should be allowed to do whatever she wants.

Lyrics won't offend anyone -- there are one or two obtusely poetic references to God and a bit of an anti-war sentiment on "Where Has All the Love Gone." The music is lovely and the vocals float softly and sweetly over well-arranged tracks, but longtime fans might miss the old energy, the sense of adventure and fun, that delicious guilty pleasure Sheryl Crow used to bring to our summer drives to the beach.

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