It's hard not to roll your eyes when hearing "Feels Like Home", Sheryl Crow's eighth album, tauted as her first country effort. Not only because Crow has always leaned on country melodies and roots-rock, but also because much of her music relied on acoustic guitars and old-fashioned values, so country music never really seemed like that big of a stretch. Question is, is how much different could Crow make "Feels Like Home" from other material? Well, to put it simply, she essentially adds a few banjos here, throws a few ballads here, and tops it off with a few twangy guitars there. Other than those few subtle, but key, differences, this is straight-forward Sheryl Crow. Bedecked throughout the tracks is her uncanny knack for squeezing in pop culture, as she takes down Hollywood in "Crazy Ain't Original", homage to core values in "Stay At Home Mother", and in some cases, retains her wide musicality, providing drum-machine beats for "We Oughta Be Drinkin'". All of these elements create a warm and inviting listen, both to long-time Crow fans and country audiences alike. Unsurprisingly, Crow bridges the gap between rock and country seamlessly, as "Feels Like Home" has very little filler (most likely to conform with country music requirements), and the whole thing clocks in at 44 minutes, making this her shortest album. The only flaw that undercuts this record is that while Crow is working with big country names (Brad Paisley, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally), but she's not quite able to inhabit the role of a country starlet. While this is a good record, one of Crow's best, it doesn't make her a contemporary to Kacey Musgraves or Miranda Lambert, and as much as she wouldn't like to admit it, the striking similarities between this and, say "100 Miles from Memphis" and "Detours", illustrate her as a rock artist with country influences, not the inverse. But the one or two tracks brought down by this (you are hereby advised to skip "Best of Times") don't detract from what's otherwise a sturdy, melodic, and engaging set of music. Sure there are too many slow cuts and it meanders half-way through, but as a whole, it feels like it's projected length and resonates past it. "Feels Like Home" won't change the world like "Tuesday Night Music Club" and "Sheryl Crow" did, but it does catch Crow in full control of her voice, her sound, and above all else, she has finally turned into the country artist we knew she always would be.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Shotgun 2. Easy 3. Give It to Me
4. We Ought to be Drinkin’ 5. Callin Me When I’m Lonely 6. Waterproof Mascara
7. Crazy Ain’t Original 8. Nobody’s Business 9. Homesick
10. Homecoming Queen 11. Best of Times 12. Stay At Home Mother
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