Sheryl Crow Detours A&M Records TO CASUAL observers, Crow s chart-friendly AOR stylings, sweetly powerful voice and strong-yet-sensitive image has been reaping steadily fewer aural rewards in recent years. Detours has been loudly touted as a return to he

Sheryl Crow

Detours

A&M Records

TO CASUAL observers, Crow's chart-friendly AOR stylings, sweetly powerful voice and strong-yet-sensitive image has been reaping steadily fewer aural rewards in recent years.

Detours has been loudly touted as a return to her '90s heyday, and the ballsy anthem Shine Over Babylon, coupled with delicately strummed opener God Bless This Mess, bodes well.

But, aside from the powerful, majestic Diamond Ring, the remaining 13 tracks are scattered right across the quality barometer, hitting a nadir with the simply horrendous Peace Be Upon Us; cod 'Rio Carnival' rhythms fed through the mind of a German Eurovision entrant, with Crow's vocals making an odd accompaniment.

A mixed bag overall. ***