Counting Crows

The new track, taken from the seventh studio album of hipster-favourites Counting Crows, manages to maintain some of the band’s trademark youthful charm, despite their years. More than two decades since the band’s formation, the vocals feel fresh, the guitar pleasingly simple, dirty and retro. The whole thing feels genuinely Pearl Jam, “let’s all mourn Cobain and be angsty”-era grunge-rock, almost as if it had been sneakily recorded alongside their nineties releases. However, sporadic listeners might find themselves apathetic towards the re-hashed (yet lesser-quality) formula that may seem slightly unoriginal. The backing vocals also seem lifeless, containing roughly the same level of emotion as a hard-boiled egg. However, die-hard fans may still find some merit in the track, easily finding parallels with classics such as “Angels of the Silences”, but it would be hard for anyone to argue that this is the peak of Counting Crows’ long career.