Jewel made her stunning debut with
Pieces of You, a collection of starkly honest folk songs. A lot of has transpired for the Alaskan native in the 20 years since, including pop stardom, a marriage, a son, a divorce and brief forays into country and children’s music. Now the 41-year-old multiple Grammy nominee has returned to her folk roots with an album that neatly bookends her best-selling debut. The recording, which features brand new songs and previously unrecorded live favourites, lays bare the emotions of the woman who once sang “Who Will Save Your Soul.” Some of it is shockingly candid, especially the anguished “Love Used to Be,” the frightening “His Pleasure is My Pain” and the howling “Carnivore.” But Jewel, whose forthcoming memoir is titled
Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story, offers several life-affirming numbers, including “My Father’s Daughter,” her heart-warming autobiographical duet with Dolly Parton. Deeply confessional, Jewel’s latest is a powerful testament to her emotional survival.
