In love and can’t rise above it

Sheryl Crow

“Wildflower” (A&M;)

* * 1/2

IN case her doe-eyed presence cheering now-fiance Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France wasn’t enough, Crow seems determined with this album to leave no doubt: Love is on her mind. It’s not, apparently, irrepressible, exuberant puppy love but serious, introspective, adult love.

Too bad. Crow has always been at her best when at her most spirited, drawing on classic rock and pop models, her ballads serving as nice contrast. But there’s little contrast here, with contemplative considerations of amour dominating. It’s not all coos and sighs -- there’s more ruing of love lost (“Always on Your Side,” “Perfect Lie”) and uncertainty (“Good Is Good,” in which someone should have reminded her that thunder comes after lightning, not the other way around), than blind devotion. And when she goes outside these ruminations (“Letter to God,” which gets too close to XTC’s “Dear God,” and the news-fueled “Where Has All the Love Gone”), it’s a bit jarring.

John Shanks and Jeff Trott’s restrained production and David Campbell’s snaky string arrangements give an attractive, Beatles-lite tone overall, though only the ‘70s soul-pop of “Live It Up” breaks the relatively deliberate pace. It all shows Crow as smart and mature. But the giddy-kid part of her is missed.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). Albums reviewed are in stores except as indicated.