Sheryl Crow
Feels Like Home
(Warner Bros.)

After listening to this album, you would never know it was Sheryl Crow’s country debut. Song after song on this album, it really feels as though this is where she belongs. While her other albums have been impressive, this one is definitely one of her best. With a mix of fast and slow songs, she makes this country album appealing to a variety of musical tastes.

The album opens with the adventurous “Shotgun” and its lyrics, “There’s a reason roads go past the city limits.” These lyrics set the tone for what proves to be a great album. It continues with the catchy “We Oughta Be Drinkin’,” which to me feels more like the old Sheryl Crow and adds an interesting sort of twist to the album. Then it moves into “Callin’ Me When I’m Lonely” and “Waterproof Mascara,” both of which explore the vulnerability of relationships and all of the emotional baggage that come with them. “Stay at Home Mother,” a ballad with excellent guitar, examines the bond between a mother and daughter and what is missing with its poetic lyrics, “My little girl grew up while I was too busy to see.” The album wraps with “You’re Asking the Wrong Person,” which is about a complicated relationship and its effects.

These are the kinds of songs that make you look at your own life and realize what is important. Throughout the album, Sheryl Crow tells stories we can all relate to in her own catchy way. It’s worth a listen whether you are a country fan or not.