Album review - Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation) - Counting Crows

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So, I don't claim to be a professional music writer, or a professional music anything, or even a writer for that matter. I'm simply a fan who likes to talk/write about the music I love. This is my first album review, as opposed to a review of a band and their album. I chose this record because a) it's awesome, and 2) we all know how much I love Counting Crows (if you are unaware of this fact, which I'd be surprised if you were, please read this post.)

Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation) is Counting Crows' 6th studio album. It is also their first independent release, having split with Geffen in 2009. The album contains songs which were not penned by lead singer Adam Duritz, but covers of songs which Duritz and the band hand picked, songs by artists who have influenced them (Big Star, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan), artists who are up-and-coming and deserve the exposure (The Romany Rye, Dawes, Kasey Anderson.) Some of these songs you may know, most you will not. But that doesn't mean they aren't worth listening to. It's a Counting Crows record, so you know it's going to be good.

When I first heard that Counting Crows were making a new record, I was very excited. When I heard it was a covers album, the excitement grew. I read some thoughts on the record, around various places of the interwebs, before it even came out, which were not keen to the idea of an all covers Counting Crows album, thoughts that it wouldn't be as good as prior albums because the songs weren't written by Adam Duritz, or that cover albums had been done before, so why should this one be given attention. My expectations were the complete opposite. Counting Crows are known for doing covers in their live shows, and having experienced this first hand, and knowing what they are capable of, I was very excited to hear what they had in store.

The record's official release date was April 10, 2012, but the album was available streaming online a few weeks before that. Of course I had the link bookmarked, and listened to it often, and of course pestered my friends/family to listen to it too by posting the link on Facebook pretty much every day or so. The album is just that good. For reals. I love nearly every part of it. Even though they are covers, all the songs have that "Counting Crows" vibe. The best part though was that three days after the record dropped, I got to see the band preform several of the songs live at the Showbox Sodo in Seattle (fantastic show, by the way.) It's pretty safe to say that the band is sounding it's best ever. This album proves that. So do their current string of live shows.

So here is my track by track review of the album:

Untitled (Love Song) Original by The Romany Rye
The Romany Rye is a band which Adam Duritz first saw at South By Southwest in 2011. This song was one of the songs they played; he loved it. I too love this song. Its a good choice to open the record. Dan Vickrey and David Immerglück's guitars are fantastic on this track (as always), Charlie Gillingham's piano and organ fit perfectly with the song, and the lyrics, even though they aren't of Adam Duritz's hand, are classic "Counting Crows." Like many, ok all, of the songs on the album, if you didn't know they were covers, you wouldn't know they are covers.

Start Again Original by Teenage Fanclub
I really like this song. I've listened to the original and love it too (and other Teenage Fanclub stuff; they're good.) The harmonies on this song are brilliant. The song begins with the simple strumming of Dave Bryson's 12-string guitar (which later gets even better when he starts pickin' rather than just strummin') Charlie on piano, Millard Powers on bass and Immer on mandolin. Duritz and Dan Vickrey start out the vocals, with Immer joining after the first verse. Their voices together are something special. They fit so well together. (This is one of my favorite songs on the record to sing along to, I like to think my voice adds a nice harmony to the song too. But that's just me)


Hospital Original by Coby Brown
What other song do you know of, that is this good, that references algebra? None. This song was recorded while Adam Duritz was suffering withdrawals from stopping some psychiatric meds (ironic, no?) There are some parts of the song where you can hear the shakiness in his voice, but it just adds to the charm of the song. The bass and acoustic guitar are not played in this song by their normal hosts, Immer took control of the bass line, which is frickin' amazing, and Millard Powers was given the task of acoustic guitar, which he does amazingly well, as Adam Duritz says in the album's liner notes "...Millard took the guitar, walked into Immy's booth and spent the rest of the day just abusing Immy's poor 1963 Goya Classical guitar. He beat the shit out of the poor sad thing. Now it refuses to play anything but whiny ballads (which... we have plenty of')"

Mercy Original by Tender Mercies
This is the first song released as a download from Underwater Sunshine. The song was written by Kurt Stevenson and Patrick Winningham of Tender Mercies, a band who's current line-up includes two members of Counting Crows: Dan Vickrey and Jim Bogios. Though the band has been around since the early days of Counting Crows, their first, self titled album was released October, 2011; this song is on it (along with Four White Stallions, which is coming up later.) Though the arrangement of this version is different than the original, it's still quite true to the original. This song rings like a country gospel song. Dan's guitar solo is great, and Charlie's organ gives it that classic gospel feel. And bonus, there's a banjo in the song (love me some banjo.)

Meet on the Ledge Original by Fairport Convention
Meet on the Ledge is a favorite of both Adam Duritz and David Immerglück. I like it too. I really don't have much to say about this song, other than I dig the vocals, the guitar is amazing, and it makes me want to find this ledge and meet someone there; it sounds like a happenin' place to be.

Like Teenage Gravity Original By Kasey Anderson & The Honkies

I LOVE this song. I LOVE Kasey Anderson & The Honkies. You can find the original on Kasey Anderson & the Honkies' album Nowhere Nights, or their new album Let the Bloody Moon Rise. Jim Bogios' drum line sets the mood of this song, and Dan's guitar brings it out, Charlie's piano completes it. The lyrics of this song are some of my favorites ever. I love the way Adam sings this song. It was one of my favorites that they did when we saw them in Seattle (I especially love when he closes his eyes and puts his hands in his pockets when he sings)

Amie Original by Pure Prairie League
This is, I think anyway, my sister Linda's favorite song on the album. This is one of the few songs I knew before this album came out. It's a fun, classic song. If you have ever listened to a classic rock/oldies radio station, chances are you know this song too. I have a bootleg of Counting Crows doing this song from (I think) the late '90s or early '00s, but I have to say this studio version is way better.The song is done will all acoustic instruments, nary an electric guitar to be seen. We get Immer's mandolin and Charlie's accordion on this song, so double bonus. This song was chosen for the album simply because Adam Duritz loves to sing it. For that I am glad, coz it's a great song.

Coming Around Original by Travis
This is fun song too. The band uses some crazy instruments on it: mellotron, glockenspiel and doorbell(?) according to the liner notes. This song too has that classic Counting Crows feel, I dig it, it's a fun song. I love how Adam Duritz sings it, and the backing vocals fit in perfectly.

Ooh La La Original by The Faces
When I first saw this song on the track list, I didn't know what it was. Once I listened to it, I was like "oh yeah, THAT song, I know that song." The Faces were Rod Stewart's original band, along with Ron Wood (who would later join the Rolling Stones) and Ronnie Lane. Another all acoustic song, on which it seems the boys are having almost way too much fun playing/singing. I love Charlie's piano, and how Dan and Immer's guitars play off each other.

All My Failures Original by Dawes
A classic bluesy, country-esque song. I've read that it's one of Adam Duritz's favorites on the record, but honestly, not one of mine. I can't say why, I don't know why. This song just doesn't ring with me (sorry Adam.) Not saying it's not a good song, it is that, but for whatever reason the song and I just don't click. You should listen it anyway, don't just take my opinion on it, or as Levar Burton would say, "You don't have to take my word for it"

Return of the Grievous Angel Original by Gram Parsons
Ok, this song is my favorite on the record. Its such a fun song! You can tell it's gonna be awesome from the get go, when Jim counts off the song, all the way till Adam's "woo hoo!" at the end. The band seems like they are having so much fun recording this song. I love how Adam "throws" the song to Immer on the mandolin, and then to Dan on the electric guitar. It was really cool to see this song live in Seattle also, it was one of the songs that I was really hoping they'd play off this album. LOVE it.

Four White Stallions Original by Tender Mercies
If you have New Amsterdam: Live at Heineken Music Hall or Tender Mercies' album then you know this song. The song was written by Patrick Winningham and Dan Vickrey, and has been in the Crows' live rotation for a while. It's about time they did a studio version. You can feel the angst in the song with Adam's vocals, and Immer's steel pedal guitar carries that feeling through the song. I love the lyrics of the bridge, and the trippy guitar: Damn these nights of dreamin' / visions soft and sure / now I awake to find there's nothing left of me and her / nothing more than a heart still at war.

Jumpin' Jesus Original by Sordid Humor
Sordid Humor was another band out of San Francisco in the late 80's/early 90s that Adam Duritz was a part of (singing back-up) along with Immer (on bass.) This song is kinda trippy, but rad. It as great guitars and the lyrics are awesome. There is an exit off of I-90 through Washington State for a town called Odessa. Every time I pass it, this song pops into my head. Listen to it and you'll know why.

You Ain't Goin' Nowhere Original by Bob Dylan
This song is a lot of fun too. I read some review somewhere, where the writer said that this song was one of their least favorite, that it felt "forced" Um, did you actually listen to it? I think this song is awesome, and it doesn't seem forced at all. Like so many other songs here, it feels like the band is having FUN. Isn't that what being in a band is really all about? The guitars are fantastic, the piano almost magical, the vocals perfect. I love near the end when Adam gives it a little gospel feel, "one more time!" If you're gonna sing, you might as well sing songs you love.

The Ballad of El Goodo Original by Big Star

The perfect closing song. Big Star is one of Adam Duritz's favorite bands ever. I've listened to some Big Star stuff, and I agree, they're pretty darn good. I really like this song. I love Adam's lead, I love the harmonies, I love the banjo. This is another one that they played in Seattle, and it was great; a good song to help close out the night (it wasn't the last song, that was Holiday in Spain, it was the third to last, Ghost Train was second to last, which I could have done with out, it's my least favorite Crows song) I could listen to The Ballad of El Goodo over and over and never get tired of it. Lovely song, just lovely.

If you get Underwater Sunshine from iTunes, you get two bonus tracks, a cover of Madonna's Borderline, which I think is way better than her version. I have a bootleg of this song from a 2003 show, in which much alcohol was involved in the performance, this one is way better (I also have them doing a cover of Madonna's Crazy For You, which is one of my favorites out of their bootlegs/covers.) This version was recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall. The other bonus track is Adam and Immer (on acoustic guitar) doing Roy Harper's version of Bob Dylan's Girl From the North Country. Another very good song. I love Adam's singing on this song. Maybe some of his best vocal work ever; it's almost haunting, and Immer's acoustic guitar is beautiful. It's worth buying the record from iTunes just for these songs.

So that's my über long review of Underwater Sunshine. Thanks for sticking with me. Now, go buy it!! (And catch the Outlaw Roadshow on tour if you can, I am. Leg 2. Sandpoint, ID. See you there!)