Posted on: February 6, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Counting Crows – You Can’t Count On Me / 2008 Geffen / 1 Tracks / http://www.countingcrows.com / http://www.geffen.com /

It has been 6 years since Counting Crows came out with their last album, “Hard Candy”.  The band last charted for their contribution to the Shrek 2 soundtrack, “Accidentally in Love”. “You Can’t Count On Me” has a tremendously different sound from practically anything else that the Counting Crows have released up to this point. In fact, far from the unique sound they created for tracks like “Mr. Jones” and “Three Headlights”, it feels as if the band has settled down into the space between Matchbox 20 and the Goo Goo Dolls. The saving grace during “You Can’t Count On Me” has to be the fact that the band draws down the early nineties alternative sound that immediately preceded their “Mr. Jones”. One can hear the energy put forth during a “Black Gold” or even early Rusted Root tracks. I’m not sure how easily the Crows will glide up the charts with this retro-sounding track, but the chorus is able to transcend time and really touch on the “screw you” attitude felt by spurned lovers. A solid track, but I’m unsure if the Crows will be able to reclaim their spot at the top of the rock charts, at a time when the landscape has changed so dramatically.

Rating: 6.0/10

Leave a Comment