Sheryl Crow is, as everyone on the planet knows by now, a woman in love. And if there's one thing we've learned, it's that almost nobody rocks out when they're in love.

So it should come as a surprise to no one that the 43-year-old singer-songwriter's fifth studio album Wildflower is her softest and mellowest outing since 1998's Globe Sessions, with a slew of sappy, string-sweetened ballads and only a couple of poppier tunes to keep the whole affair from feeling like the soundtrack to a Hallmark movie-of-the-week.

Which is not to say these tunes aren't quite lush and seductive and gorgeous and fully realized and all those good things; just that between their mellow grooves and rich melodies and acoustic guitars and swelling orchestrations, they don't exactly grab you by the collar.

But here's the thing we can't understand: For a woman who's so publicly head over heels, she sure does write some sad songs here. You'd think most of these 11 tunes would be the musical equivalent of her making goo-goo eyes at Lance, but a lot of them are tearstained efforts.

Guess it must be one of those so-happy-she-could-cry deals.

Track Listing:

1. I Know Why
2. Perfect Lie
3. Good is Good
4. Wildflower
5. Chances Are
6. Lifetimes
7. Letter to God
8. I Don't Wanna Know
9. Always On Your Side
10. Where Has All the Love Gone
11. Live it Up