August and Everything After

by

Counting Crows

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Many people have stories to tell about this album, about how it changed their life, helped through tough times, about how a particular song always makes them cry. I haven't experienced any of those, but it is still the most emotionally charged album I have ever heard. It is not the kind of music I usually listen to - I usually go for harder bands - but once i had listened to this album properly, absorbing every heart rending facet of Adam Duritz' moving, touching, emphatic vocals I was hooked. This album has so many classics - Round Here, Mr Jones, Anna Begins, Murder of One - that a day rarely goes by 3 months and 6 albums later that I don't listen to some of it. The truths contained within the lyrics are timeless, the emotion within the singing heartfelt - by both Adam and you. The music mostly serves to lift Adam's vocals to a new level, enhancing and augmenting it. Really, though, it is impossible to tell whether or not you like other than sitting down and listening to it properly. No amount of reviews can really help you with this CD - if I had read a description of the music (country/folk/soft rock) before hand, or the bands they are compared to, I never would have bought it. But I did, and I'm glad, as it is one of my favourite albums. Just try it. It's also worth noting that if you really want something rockier you can get Recovering the Sattelites, but this is the classic and really should be your first Counting Crows album.