JEWEL
"Intuition" [2-track]
Atlantic Recording Corporation (88108-2)
Release Date: May 6, 2003

"Intuition" is the lead-off single for Jewel's most recent album, 0304. From the first moment you hear the accordion and "record skips" in the beginning of the song, you know that this is not going to be a "typical" Jewel song. The song is more "dance-friendly" than many of her previous singles, and this sound is a refreshing change of pace. The song is about following your intuition and your heart, because they won't lead you wrong; the lyrics of the song even manage to "name drop" a couple of celebrities (Kate Moss and Charlie Sheen).

The live acoustic version of "Standing Still" that appears as the B-side of this single was recorded in 2002. I felt that this performance lost most of the energy that was on the original recording, especially when Jewel hits the chorus. However, the performance does improve a bit right near the end of the song. While this live performance wasn't necessarily bad, it could have been a bit stronger.

Overall, this is a decent single, and is worth the investment if you like "Intuition," but are hesitant to buy the album because you haven't heard anything else from it. "Intuition" is one of the best songs Jewel has released in a while, and hopefully follow-up singles from 0304 won't disappoint.

(reviewed by Lesley Muir on August 12, 2003)