Picking Up the Pieces
Jewel · 2015
62 min · 14 tracks · country music
A reflective blend of country and folk that explores personal struggles with raw honesty and emotive storytelling.
Top tracks — play these first
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Love Used to Be Start here — This opening track encapsulates the album's overarching themes of nostalgia and loss through poignant lyrics that reflect on a past relationship's complexities.
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Everything Breaks — The song's haunting melody pairs with lyrics that articulate the inevitability of heartbreak, showcasing Jewel's ability to blend sorrow with beauty.
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My Father’s Daughter — This deeply personal track reveals Jewel's journey of self-discovery and reconciliation with her family legacy, making it a powerful centerpiece of the album.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album features strong personal storytelling but follows familiar country-folk structures.
What we noticed
- The first half of the album features a consistent mid-tempo pace, while the second half introduces slower ballads that create a reflective atmosphere.
- Many tracks utilize a simple acoustic guitar arrangement, allowing Jewel's vocals and lyrics to remain at the forefront.
- Several songs incorporate personal storytelling elements, with lyrics that directly address themes of loss and healing.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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6/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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5/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady pacing for reflective moments
- heartfelt storytelling with vulnerability
- suitable for quiet introspection
- melodic simplicity for gentle focus
Maybe skip if you
- seeking high-energy tracks
- prefer instant gratification
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Late Career Highlight — Represents a strong return after hiatus, showcasing Jewel's continued artistic expression.
- Themes
- post-divorce reflection· family legacy reconciliation· nostalgic heartbreak
- Career context
- Released in 2015, Picking Up the Pieces marks Jewel's return to music after a five-year hiatus, following her album, Sweet and Wild. This album comes during a time of personal reinvention for Jewel as she navigates life after divorce, bringing a newfound depth to her songwriting.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Sarah McLachlan· Colbie Caillat· Sheryl Crow
Tracklist
- 1 Love Used to Be Start here 5:42
- 2 A Boy Needs a Bike 4:10
- 3 Everything Breaks 4:02
- 4 Family Tree 3:36
- 5 It Doesn’t Hurt Right Now 4:36
- 6 His Pleasure Is My Pain 5:43
- 7 Here When Gone 4:45
- 8 The Shape of You 4:16
- 9 Plain Jane 3:50
- 10 Pretty Faced Fool 3:51
- 11 Nicotine Love 6:33
- 12 Carnivore 4:20
- 13 My Father’s Daughter 3:25
- 14 Mercy 3:47
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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