Counting Crows - Hard Candy

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Music reviews of Hard Candy

Music Review: Just As Good as "August"
Rating: 5 Stars

If you're expecing another "August and Everything After", you're sure to be sorely disappointed. (I loved "August" too, guys, but it's time to let it go...)

I think one thing a lot of reviewers seem to be responding to is the fact that Counting Crows don't sound like they did before on "August and Everything After", and they miss that sound. Counting Crows aren't the kind of band that sound the same from album to album, and any fan of theirs should've figured that out after "Recovering the Satellites". If you want cookie-cutter songs that sound the same from album to album, you're better off with Britney Spears or N'Sync. That's not what Counting Crows is about.

Now, on to the music:

There's very little not to like with this CD. It starts off strong with "Hard Candy", a bittersweet song about memory and loss. It's one of those catchy upbeat songs that almost sounds happy until you really listen to it. Lyrically, it's got some great visual images and really emotive sounds.

"American Girls" falls into somewhat the same category. Catchy, upbeat, and almost happy -- until you listen to it. The lyrical twist of the guy who takes advantage of a girl, only to be given his just desserts in the end, is really brilliant.

"Good Time" is a funky tune, reminiscent of 70's style music. It's one of the most unabashedly-sad songs on the album, and very heartfelt.

"If I Could Give All My Love" is a song about the relentless nature of time and relationships. It's alternate title, "Richard Manuel Is Dead" is both a reference to the song lyrics and an explanation of the sound of the song, which is, in fact, very reminiscent of The Band.

"Goodnight LA" isn't one of my favorite songs, but it's slow and heartfelt.

"Butterfly In Reverse", the song that Ryan Adams co-wrote, is probably my second-least favorite song on the album. This song, in particular, suffers from the problem of being "over-produced" as other reviewers have called the CD itself. It's almost Mary-Poppins-ish, and something I'd relegate to the Skip button.

"Miami", while not the best song on the album, is certainly a wonderful song with interesting use of keyboards. It's the one song on the album where keyboards work to the band's advantage.

"New Frontier", on the other hand, is where the keyboard/synth sound utterly fails the band. I agree with another reviewer that this song belongs on an 80's compilation, rather than on a Counting Crows album.

"Carriage" was really a surprise to me. Horns on a Counting Crows song??? Still, the effect isn't bad. It's a very nice song musically, although the lyrics are a bit more cryptic than some of the other songs (and some of Counting Crows' better songs).

"Black and Blue" proves that Counting Crows haven't moved as far from the "August and Everything After" days as many fans have feared. It's bare-bones music and gut-wrenching lyrics definitely harken back to those days.

"Why Should You Come When I Call?" is an ellucidation on "American Girls"'s "I'm such a cad" theme. Basically, it's a guy wondering why a woman is so good to him when he treats her badly. Musically, it's got a bit of a 70's feel to it, and the rhyme scheme is interesting to listen to:

"If you've not fallen quite
Asleep I might call tonight
If that's alright..."

Definitely worth a listen.

The final two (official) songs are probably the best on the CD: "Up All Night" and "Holiday in Spain". There's nothing to compare them to in earlier Counting Crow's albums, but they definitely stand on their own. On "Up All Night", Adam's voice shines through as he talks about the difficulty of finding someone or something in this world to connect to:

"I've been up all night.
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
And let them slip away."

In addition, there's the yearning for love so beautifully understated in the lines:

"Cause I've been thinking I'd
Like to see your eyes
Open up real wide
The minute that you see me."

"Holiday in Spain" is similarly beautiful, and a song that I frequently find myself singing along with. Basically, it's about the end of a relationship, and wanting to escape to something more satisfying:

"Take a holiday in Spain.
Leave my wings behind me.
Drive this little girl insane
And fly away to someone new."

If you've been looking for another "August and Everything After", I suggest you go out to your local CD store and buy another copy. The band has no interest in producing another "August", and in terms of creativity, it's hard to blame them. But if you're looking for a CD that makes you remember why you've stuck with them (if you have) through the "This Desert Life" days, this CD should restore your faith.

Description of Hard Candy

Alternative Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• Rock