"Do You Want To Play" by Jewel

Alaskan singer-songwriter and poet, Jewel, probably deserves the most credit for launching the coffehouse music craze of the 90s. Her masterful debut album from 1995, "Pieces of You," is a sparse affair, largely featuring just Jewel and her acoustic guitar or piano. And that was all she ever needed. The album went on to be one of history's best-selling debuts, going 12x platinum and spawning three charting hits: "Who Will Save Your Soul" (#11), "You Were Meant For Me" (#2), and "Foolish Games" (#7).

Expectations were high for a follow-up record, but it only produced one top ten hit when "Hands" hit #6 in 1998. This record, entitled "Spirit," and her subsequent records mostly abandoned the simple and elegant style of her debut, trading the beautifully sparse arrangements for high-polished pop sheen. To be fair, it works some of the time, but it is likely that "Pieces of You" will remain a unique gem in Jewel's career.

Produced by former Giant vocalist and guitarist, Dann Huff, Jewel's fourth record provides a nice balance between styles. "Standing Still," which hit #25 in 2001, is a great song, but I like "Do You Want To Play" even more.

Jewel has taken some detours into dance (a stretch for her style) and country music (not a far stretch for her style), but hasn't made a chart appearance since 2008's "Stronger Woman" stalled at #84.