by Lauren Rosier
The strength of the debut album of any band is so very important regardless of genre. I always considered the Counting Crows’ debut album, August & Everything After, one of the very few records I could play from start to finish without skipping a song. That’s very rare to find these days.
Music can elicit such strong emotions and this Counting Crows’ 1993 debut record is no exception. Going back to my last Lost and Found piece [see – Sting, Mercury Falling (1996)], the storytelling in some of the tracks on this record is incredible.
The opener, “Round Here,” is just a beautiful example of lyricism: ‘Step out the front door / Like a ghost into a fog / Where no one notices / a contrast of white on white / And between the moon and you / Angels get a better view / Of the crumbling difference between wrong and right…’
The band’s hit single, “Mr. Jones”, is another example of this. I don’t think there’s anyone who hasn’t heard that song. It really is the epitome of a catchy, alternative rock from the 90’s. As you listen to lead singer, Adam Duritz, sing about the yellow-haired girl, and Mr. Jones striking up a conversation with the black-haired flamenco dancer, you can just imagine Duritz and the character, Mr. Jones, socializing at the New Amsterdam, and chatting with the two women.
The record is truly a set of musical gems that are sure to make your heart smile.
