Two years in the making, This Desert Life is the kind of collection that will please the Counting Crows faithful and leave doubters unconverted. Adam Duritz's recognisably emotive vocals and the group's classic-rock stylings remain in the fore as the Crows stick near the nest with their third studio outing. The Mellencamp-like opener, "Hanginaround", is one of the strongest tunes here, thanks to its laid-back passion and catchy piano and percussive elements. The … mehrfamiliar feeling "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby" is another lively offering, but at nearly eight minutes it's too long. The emotional, Van Morrison-like lament "All My Friends" feels self-pitying, while the balance of the album is simply bland. The sound is appealing (witness the spare "Colorblind" and the waltzing "Amy Hit the Atmosphere"), but This Desert Life is, on the whole, rather dry. --Katherine Turman weniger
1 - Hanginaround - Counting Crows, David Lowery, Dennis Herring, Charles Gillingham, David Campbell, Richard Hasal, Jack Joseph Puig, Martin Pradler, OK Hee Kim, Jim Champagne
2 - Mrs. Potters Lullaby
3 - Amy Hit The Atmosphere
4 - Four Days - Counting Crows, David Lowery, Dennis Herring, Jack Joseph Puig
5 - All My Friends… mehr
6 - High Life
7 - Colorblind - Counting Crows, David Lowery, Dennis Herring, Charles Gillingham, David Campbell, Richard Hasal, Okhee Kim, Jim Champagne
8 - I Wish I Was A Girl
9 - Speedway
10 - St. Robinson In His Cadillac Dream/Kid Things - Counting Crows weniger