Underwater Sunshine (Counting Crows)

Underwater Sunshine (or what we did on our summer vacation) (Counting Crows)  It used to be commonplace for bands to record and release cover versions of other people's songs* and I think most people enjoy hearing their favorite bands singing good songs by other bands.  So when I found out that this album by Counting Crows was actually all cover versions I was pretty excited.  Upon reading the liner notes, I found out that it "was an unintentional theme . . . that a lot of the songs on this record aren't well known."**  Which made me less excited. Of the fifteen songs on the CD, I was actually familiar with five of them.  However, all of the songs have that distinctive Counting Crows sound.  So even if you haven't heard of any of these songs and assuming you like Counting Crows*** then the CD sounds like a bunch of Counting Crows songs.  Personally, I found the first half of the CD to be the weaker half.  Things picked up more at the end, but then again most of the songs I already knew were on the back half, so that may have had something to do with it.  In the end, this is not one of my favorite Counting Crows albums**** but it's definitely something that I will play again.*****

Underwater Sunshine: B



* - The Beatles first album is full of cover versions.
** - From the liner notes
*** - And if you don't, why did you buy the album?
**** - In no particular order those would be: Hard Candy, August and Everything After and Recovering the Satellites.
***** - If only so that I can get Amie stuck in my head again.