Pieces of You sold 11 Million copies and the follow up Spirit and Joy: A Holiday Collection has made her total sales reach 23 Million copies establishing the 20 something artist as a powerful figure among her musical contemporaries. Her third offering to her fans is the album This Way that marks the continued growth in the artists musician statement and demonstrate her skill and depth in her song writing. Gx reviews This Way by Jewel.

Pieces of You sold 11 Million copies and the follow up Spirit and Joy: A Holiday Collection has made her total sales reach 23 Million copies establishing the 20 something artist as a powerful figure among her musical contemporaries. Ever since the end of her touring for Spirit and her stint with Sarah McLachlan's ultra successful late 90's Lilith Fair, Miss Jewel Kilcher drifted into the shadows needing as she mentions in the linear notes to her most recent that she was "a worn-out little chick singer." Her third offering to her fans is the album This Way that marks the continued growth in the artists musician statement and demonstrate her skill and depth in her song writing.

The opening track is a perfect fit for open road driving, and is visualized as such in the video for Standing Still. Standing Still is the eager plea from a lover hoping to hear from their "ex" or love interest. This same search for love theme has occurred in her prior songs like You Were Meant for Me and Enter from the East. What sets Standing Still apart from these other works is the strong rock-country guitars rising to their strength in the chorus of the song, and continuing to bring images of the highway rolling past on the journey.

In her previous album Spirit,, the title track Hands received critical and fans' praise for its message about our own individual ability to help and reach out to one another. Jesus Loves You on This Way is the first social commentary track on the album. Jesus Loves You deals with the power money and other ideas of self-worth are marketed and have had a detrimental effect on people's self worth. "They say that if I donate, even I can / buy a lot in heaven before I die" - including references in the song to psychic readings and magazine cover models - illustrates for the listener the power of the purchased image. This song is followed by tracks Till We Run Out of Road – written with her boyfriend Ty Murray - and The New Wild West. Till We Run Out of Road illustrates the emptiness felt by road warriors such as the rodeo cowboy or the traveling businessman. The New Wild West is Jewel's commentary on the negative aspects to the state of the American mind set and the lack of community.

Jewel fans will not be disappointed by the vocal technique of an artist who prefers the live performance over the studio produced album. The audience is treated to two live tracks on This Way – Grey Matter and Sometimes It Be That Way. The song that shows her range is Love Me, Just Leave Me. Written at 21, the song deals with the angst felt by a lover wanting some reaction from her love interest. Solid guitar playing brings forth the blues tone echoed in the lyrics, Jewel belts for a gritty anger driven lover's challenge in the chorus reminiscent of Janis Joplin.

The Rock & Country styling of the album could discourage fans of her previous two albums who had a bit more lighter & melodious feel, but demonstrate the growth of Jewel and her desire to keep the music fresh and expressive of her own changes. As of the writing of this article, Jewel has been doing talk show appearances and performances. According to her website www.jeweljk.com – Miss Kilcher plans to tour are still not finalized. For fans of Jewel, this album may come as an unexpected departure from her prior works, but it continues to show the depth and range of her song writing skills. Jewel has not lost her ability to evoke emotions and intellectual connections, and This Way has proven worth the wait.

Jewel has also released on VHS & DVD Jewel: A Life Uncommon and a paperback book entitled Chasing Down the Dawn. These items can be purchased through her official website at Suncoast and Amazon.

Brad DeMaagd was born in Sacramento, California in 1976. Mr. DeMaagd currently lives in Michigan, but is planning a move to Oregon in the late spring. Mr. DeMaagd attended Michigan State University where he majored in English, with minor studies in Economics and History. Mr. DeMaagd continues to pursue his goal of becoming an Acquisitions Editor at a publishing house. His past times include watching David Lynch films, NFL football, working on his stories, and reading an ever growing stack of books.

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