|
|
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Crows back to their best, 16 Jun 2003
By A Customer
This album, the fourth by Counting Crows, is again a little different to the rest. While the first was a little rugged, country and emotional, the second was more electric and a somewhat bleak, the third was also somewhat bleak, and a mixture of the acoustic and electric feel of the first two, but now Counting Crows are back to their best, with a sublime mix of acoustic and electric tracks, the smooth country/rock kind of feel, of which classics are made of, and the music targeted a little more commercially. With tracks like American Girls, Hard Candy, Richard Manuel is Dead, and Big Yellow Taxi all for release in the pop scene in the UK, this is the first Crows album since 1993 to produce quality music, appealing to the charts.Like a fine wine, the band has matured with age, and the lyrics are as deep as ever, with Adam Duritz on vocals producing quality moments which can bring a tear to one's eye. With David Immergluck finally acknowledged as a full band-member, his mandolin and electric guitar solos act to bring true greatness to this album. Track 6, Butterfly in Reverse, was, incidentally co-written by Adam Duritz and Ryan Adams (every other line!), and is something of a lighthearted welcome intermission, bringing light and shade to the album. So, overall this is a truly great album, and while doubt rests over how powerful the previous two albums have been, there's no doubt that this is one of Counting Crows's finest efforts.
|