Jewel’s New Album Released Today, Reminiscent Of ‘Pieces of You’

Today saw the release of Jewel’s new album, Picking Up the Pieces, which is clearly a throwback to her first album, Pieces of You. Voted “Album of the Month” on the Boot, Jewel’s new album is a return to her folk roots. Jewel told Parade Magazine why she was doing an album like Pieces of You.

“I knew at some point I was going to make another record that was akin to Pieces of You. I wasn’t sure when it would happen exactly, but I knew it was headed toward that, and as my life took some turns, I realized this was the album I needed to make now. When my son was born, I looked into his eyes and realized I wasn’t quite the woman I wanted him to know and I needed to make some pretty significant changes in my life. I was able to use my writing and my songs and the book as my mechanism to do what I called an archeological dig back to my essential self.”

This new album not only brings back Jewel’s roots, but also her soul, according to her personal blog.

“It was emotional and raw and a little messy – but honest. That’s all I wanted. This is not a clever record. This record has no genre. It has no single that will be played at radio. It is raw, honest poetry that poured out of my bones and my soul.”

Pieces of You was how the world first met Jewel, a folksy, raw artist. The new album Picking Up the Pieces promises us a look back at that first glimpse of Jewel, and it shows how Jewel has come full circle in her art. Rolling Stone mentioned that some of the songs on the new album are actually live songs Jewel has played at her concerts over the years such as “Carnivore” and “Boy Needs A Bike.” Seems like Jewel never really left her roots, as most of her fans know already.

It has been five years since Jewel recorded her last album, Sweet and Wild. Fans have been waiting patiently, and from listening to tracks from the new album, it’s pretty clear that they won’t be disappointed.

Here’s a sneak peek of the new album, courtesy of Sugarhill Records and YouTube.

One of the songs on the new album, “My Father’s Daughter,” is a duet with Dolly Parton. It is another song Jewel has performed live at her concerts in the past.

#PickingUpThePieces is here! I cant wait for you to dig into this album & the stories told • http://t.co/nwCVgJOFKw pic.twitter.com/G3yECJSFvj

— Jewel (@jeweljk) September 11, 2015

[Videos: Sugarhill Records/YouTube]