Sheryl Crow
intended to retire from recording after the release of the star-studded purported farewell
Threads
, but life had other plans. Four years after
garnered some attention,
Crow
became part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2023, an induction assisted by the release of the 2022 documentary Sheryl. All this activity was enough to send
back into the studio, this time in the company of
Mike Elizondo
, a producer whose credits run from
50 Cent
and
Eminem
to
Fiona Apple
,
Carrie Underwood
, and
Lin-Manuel Miranda
.
Elizondo
encouraged
to embrace the shinier aspects of her persona, a shift evident from
Evolution
's ebullient opener "Alarm Clock." Coming across like a deliberate update of the chipper sunshine pop of
C'mon C'Mon
, "Alarm Clock" is hardly the only moment on
to make a conscious nod to the singer/songwriter's past: "Do It Again" simmers to a slinky ramble reminiscent of "All I Wanna Do" and the pleading "Don't Walk Away" taps into the broken-hearted vein of "Strong Enough." The nifty trick of
is that it never sounds as if
is succumbing to nostalgia. Rather, the record feels like she's settling into her skin. Filled with sunny hooks, busy rhymes, and relaxed rhythms,
is a good time whose cheerfulness camouflages its vaguely deeper undercurrents. The vibe is familiar, but the sound is fresh and, better yet,
isn't ponderous: it's brisk and bright, keeping its focus squarely on the gifts that brought
into the Hall of Fame. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine