Detours

Production

Detours was recorded at Crow's Nashville farm and includes 14 of the 24 songs recorded. The first single from the album, "Shine over Babylon", is a folk-rock anthem. Crow told Billboard in summer 2007 that the song "is very environmentally conscious, in the tradition of Bob Dylan". The single ended up being a radio-airplay release and reached #42 on the Italy Singles Chart and #4 on the Billboard Adult album alternative chart. Crow further stated:

"I'm really encouraging artists to write about what's going on, because we seem to be very distracted by some lightweight topics. I think it's time to start writing about the reality of what's around us."

In additional comments on her website, Crow describes the single as "in every way a desperate cry for understanding. Perhaps it is even a battle song in the face of fear."

In another statement, Crow described the record as "the most honest record I've ever made. It's about being forced to wake up".

The second single culled from the album was "Love Is Free", which, in Crow's own words, was "inspired by [the effect of Hurricane Katrina on] New Orleans. What struck me about it is the stoicism of the New Orleans people, they are very spiritually based. You can see it in their eyes that they aren't going to give up, they are going to rebuild."

So far "Love Is Free" has gained much airplay in the United States and has already begun to enter the Billboard charts: the U.S. Hot 100 (#77), the Canadian Hot 100 (#53) and the Japanese Hot 100 (#10).

Perhaps coincidentally, while the New Orleans-inspired single was distributed and its allusions were noted by Crow during appearances on American television, the album itself was released on the day of the 2008 New Orleans Mardi Gras.

"Motivation" was released as a radio-single only and peaked at #14 on the Billboard Triple A chart in the US. The title track, "Detours", charted at #13 in the US after Crow performed it on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Official videos

"Shine over Babylon"

"Lullaby for Wyatt"

"Love Is Free"

"God Bless This Mess"

"Now That You're Gone"

"Out of Our Heads"

"Gasoline"

Critical reception

Detours scored a 75 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Writing for Rolling Stone, Anthony Decurtis called it "a relatively stripped-down affair...What holds these fourteen songs together is Crow's unwavering emotional commitment. She confronts both personal and political terrors, and emerges hopeful — getting where she needs to go, despite the detours."

Stephen Thomas Erlewine writing for AllMusic called it "her liveliest, weirdest album since 1996's messy masterpiece Sheryl Crow...there is an emotional directness on Detours that makes this a progression, not a retreat, and with any luck, this album isn't a one-time journey down a side road but rather the touchstone for the next act in her career."

Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine wrote that "many of the songs on Detours rank among Crow’s best. There’s a grittiness to the music and a scratchy, lived-in quality to Crow’s vocals that’s been missing from her last couple of albums, and the rough edges are becoming...On their own, the political songs would render Detours Important, but Crow has managed the nearly impossible: recording an album that’s as intensely personal as it is fiercely political.

Track listing

All lyrics and music by Sheryl Crow, except where noted

Release history and chart performance

Detours debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 92,000 copies in its first week and an additional 52,000 copies in its second week. As of May 26, 2010, the album had sold 405,000 copies in the US.

Charts