Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008 | midnight
It’s been four years since Jem’s excellent debut, Finally Woken, and from the way her follow-up, Down to Earth, sounds, the singer probably could have made several vastly different albums in that time. Earth is a schizophrenic mix of pop styles, flirting with a number of familiar sounds but never settling on its own identity.
Woken invited numerous comparisons to Dido, but its guitar-driven poptronica was more beat-heavy and club-friendly, and here Jem encourages that connection on songs like the funky, catchy “Crazy” (evoking Nikka Costa), the Latin-flavored “I Want You To …” (evoking Shakira) and the slinky dance-pop “Aciid!” (evoking Gwen Stefani, complete with parts sung in Japanese). Rather than head fully for the dance floor, though, Earth also goes for Dido-style tasteful coffeehouse adult-contemporary on about half the album, including the turgid 9/11-inspired ballad “You Will Make It.”
It’s an awkward mix, and few of the songs are as striking or memorable as those on Woken, which effectively integrated pop, folk and electronica in a potent and unique blend. Earth sometimes reaches that exciting place, but most of it is disappointingly muddled, reflective of an artist who can’t seem to decide if she wants to be Björk or Natasha Bedingfield, Beth Orton or Colbie Caillat. Instead, she tries to be all of them and more, and loses herself in the process.
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