THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nine-time Grammy winner and 2023 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Sheryl Crow publicly stated that she would not release another album after 2018’s Threads — so her 11th full-length Evolution comes as a welcome surprise. “Everything has gotten more song-oriented with streaming, and making an album is a huge endeavor,” says Crow. “I started off sending one song to (producer) Mike (Elizondo), which turned into four, and it was going to be an EP. But the songs just kept flowing out of me — four songs turned into nine and it was pretty obvious this was an album.”
The album’s lead single Alarm Clock is perhaps Crow’s most radio-friendly pop song since Soak Up The Sun. Co-written with Elizondo and Emily Weisband, Crow’s narrative of a beautiful dream broken by the jarring buzz of morning wake-up is buoyed by his effervescent production. Alarm Clock is an earworm that stays with you after just one listen.
The easy creative rapport between Crow and Elizondo, who used to play bass in her band, was a key factor is the making of the album. “I did not want to produce myself this time,” says Crow. “There’s a point where you get tired of what you do, you recognize your tricks, you despair of them. I didn’t want to deal with the emotional toil that goes into producing, the decisions, the effort, the time, being away from my kids. Mike loved the songs I sent him and wanted to produce. He brought a fresh approach and illustrated the songs in such a cinematic way, he’s so good with that. We did things quickly, the way old records were made, wrote the whole album in a month.”
Evolution the album started with the title track, which coveys Crow’s uneasiness about artificial intelligence. “Stephen Hawking worried that A.I. would replace humans. As a mom, I want to leave a better world for my children, a healthier planet — is A.I. going to be a benevolent partner in these goals or not? It’s unsettling, and this song deals with those anxieties,” says Crow. “I wrote the song with just me on guitar and vocals, sent it to Mike and said, this is bigger than me, can you take a crack at it?” Elizondo’s production brings Crow into new sonic territory, delivering blockbuster cinematics and a monolithic guitar solo by Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello. “To me, Tom’s playing comes from some other planet,” says Crow. “It’s a cool bit of kismet that we (were) inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in the same year, and his solo on Evolution just ejects you into space.”
The majestic ballad Don’t Walk Away is another highlight. “We’re facing so many struggles in our daily lives, not just from existential threats like war, the pandemic, climate change, but basic human challenges, like just trying to keep our relationships going. Friends you thought were the most solid couples divorce,” she says. “It all makes me feel really raw.” This rawness inspired Crow to deliver one of the most fragile, beautiful vocal performances of her career, which she did in one take, singing and playing piano. Elizondo built the track around this demo. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to sing it like that again, it was so immediate for me. I hope that whoever hears this song feels like they’re not alone, not the only one experiencing grief or pain or loss or joy.”
Other standout tracks include the slinky Do It Again (the sole track produced by John Shanks), You Can’t Change The Weather, an optimistic singalong, and the laid back Love Life, all of which will be well received by fans of Crow’s sophomore self-titled album. Broken Record is upbeat and playful, melodic camouflage for the song’s subject matter — the frustration of people using huge platforms to drum up hate and fear. Where, an unused older track penned with Bill Bottrell, sounds like a newly discovered Laurel Canyon gem.
Ultimately, Evolution is Crow at her most human. “This music and these lyrics came from sitting in the quiet and writing from a deep soul place. I said I’d never make another record, thought there was no point to it. But this music comes from my soul. And I hope whoever hears this record can feel that.”
