Customer Reviews
A big disapointment - By: R. Lymer, 21 Aug 2008 
I was really looking forward to hearing this album. I have bought all of Jewels albums & her only slight notificationin this country of the album "This Way" that got my attention. A lot of people critisized Jewel for 0304 but to me it was a near perfect pop record that only grew better as the album went on. Although her last album was heading towards a country market it had so many catchy numbers but i'm disapointed to say that this album has only about 2 songs i would recommend on it. This is full on country with plenty of the old twangin every song & to be honest it sounds rather dated. Something Shania would have done 15 years ago.
Nevermind though I will still always be a fan & already I am looking forward to the next album. If you are a relatively new Jewel fan I suggest you search the back catalogue first as there are so many gems!
Gone completely haywire. - By: Crs Morriss, 28 Jul 2008 
Oh dear, oh dear. However much I've liked Jewel's workin the past, (though I have never heard the derided 0304), this is a disaster. It's not that I particularly dislike country, the country-ish work of the Indigo Girls for example is ok by me, but this coy tweeness, cod accent, & lamentable video of the lead track is an instant 'throw itin the bin'. Any fans of her early work should listen before purchasing this. Let's hope she isn't really on the slippery slope downhill, & that she will once again produce work of quality.
JEWEL "PERFECTLY CLEAR" - By: Pete Doherty, 21 Jun 2008 
From her wide vocal range to her very clever & interesting lyrics, Jewel is without doubt one of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time. Most artists tend to have a greater strength with either their vocals or lyrics, however with Jewel, it's difficult to even begin to choose simply because she is a master at both.
It is hard to pick which box Jewel's music fits into, whether it's Folk, Pop or Country music, Jewel's voice & lyrics are what keeps her unique style as an artist.
A country album has been on the cards for a while now with Jewel, but due to her distinctive stylein both her vocals & lyrics, "Perfectly Clear" ends up being a Jewel album first & a country album second. Jewel has shown that whether it's folky songs, Christmas songs, a full Pop album or the odd Folk/Pop, Pop or Country song she is more than capable of making any type of music she has released work on a high level.
Yet again, on "Perfectly Clear" Jewel's vocals & songwriting remainin excellent form & the album as a whole is as close to a true country album as you will probably get. Jewel doesn't sing with a "country twang" or have typical country sounds to pass it off as a country album, she has taken her time & worked with John Rich to produce the album & the outcome really is a masterpiece.
"I Do" is probably the catchiest song on the album, it's an uptempo song which is currently working it's way up the country single charts, after having played "Rosey And Mick" live over the years, it finally gets studio recorded for this album, "Love Is A Garden" & "Thump, Thump" are two nice little midtempo songs, "Till It Feels Like Cheating" & the title track "Perfectly Clear" are great ballads, "Loved By You (Cowboy Waltz)" sees Jewel do a bit of yodelling which is really cool & I'd say that "Everything Reminds Me Of You" is the best song on the album, it's a great ballad, with great lyrics & great vocals, just like the whole album actually.
I think it's fair to say that Jewel will more than likely stick to making country albums for quite some time now, & after hearing this, it would definitely be a good choice.
better and better - By: James B, 20 Jun 2008 To me Jewel just seems to be getting better & better.Perfectly Clear,although not a country album, like others have suggested,has a country flavour to it, but still possess's Jewel's great strengths. Intelligent lyrics & great vocals. It seem's a natural progression from `Goodbye alicein Wonderland`and if you liked that album I'm sure you'll like this.
Hit and Miss - By: IWFIcon, 15 Jun 2008 
It was perhaps only to be expected that Jewel would deliver a "Country" album; perhaps it's a case of her "making the record she's always wanted to do" (as she suggested with the, I think, unfairly maligned 0304) or perhaps its an attempt to carve out a new audience. Long term it's impossible to tell if this is a single flight of fancy or a concerted move into new territory. Perhaps that will depend on record sales.
Things don't look good with opener Stronger Woman. If you were looking to set down a Female sung Country clichein four easy minutes, you couldn't go far wrong with this. The sense is one of Jewel playing a Country star, rather than actually being one. It's a feeling that album struggles to shrug off.
Occasionally the pastiche is tossed aside to deliver something genuinely lifting, the main casein point being the title track, even if it seems to be little more than a Country retelling of one of her early hits, Foolish Games. I Do is another one that hits the right spot.
Allin all this is far from a terrible album & there is no denying that Jewel has the ear for a catchy melody; the problem is as I've mentioned earlier, you're left with the feeling that she's merely "playing" at being a Country star, right down to the, at times, comedic attempts to effect a southern drawl.
Maybe if Country proves to be a long-term proposition for Jewel, she can get it right next time.
