Sea of Tears

One of my favorite CDs of the year, just a notch behind Jenny Lewis' "Acid Tongue." For musical details, I concur with the review by Colin Spence. I also concur with his evaluation of 4 and 1/2 stars but gave the CD five stars to balance out the Amazon tab. Jewell's music is very unlikely to reach mass media saturation (which is good) but it has already (and rather quickly) become popular with radio stations featuring an Americana format (which is also good since it will allow her to make a living, keep her superb band together and record more music in the future). It's not only difficult but also rather foolish to try to compete with a definitive cover version by The Who in their prime (i.e. Live At Leeds. I was so taken by Jewell's take on "Shakin' All Over" that I heard by chance on internet radio, however, that I made a point of finding out the performer and then buying the CD without bothering to listen to any other tracks. Because the CD as a whole is so likeable from the...Read more

Jewell's third album retains the 30s jazz phrasings of her vocals, but the folk and country sounds of 2007's Letters From Sinners & Saints give way to electric guitars that twang like slow-motion rockabilly. No fiddle or harmonica this time, and only a few vocal harmonies supplement the basic guitar, drums, and bass. Dark strums of sustain contrast interestingly with Jewell's reflective vocals, turning Johnny Kidd & the Pirate's "Shakin' All Over" into a contest between cool reserve and hot guitar licks. Imagine the calm and collected Julie London backed by the Blue Caps' galloping Cliff Gallup. The British Invasion also provides Them's "I'm Gonna Dress in Black," rousing Jewell to angry self-pity.

The three covers (which also include Loretta Lynn's "The Darkest Day") have been reworked to downbeat- and mid-tempos that dovetail...Read more

i got sea of tears through signature records two weeks ago and it hasnt left my cd player or have i listened to anything else..theres more of a rock edge to these sounds thanks to millers guitar ...i know this year is early but it ranks number one so far...this is a no miss purchase.. shes all of lucinda, pieta and others..i highly recommend