The 2020s haven’t been the greatest decade for rock music. However, it looks like that pendulum is swinging in alternative rock’s favor. Ghost just topped the Billboard 200 chart with their recent release. Rock could very well be making a comeback this year. And that much is spurred on by Counting Crows’ recent release, Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!
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Released on May 9, Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets! follows the legendary alternative and roots rock outfit’s 2021 EP, Butter Miracle, Suite One. Essentially, the EP has been expanded into a fully formed album. It’s been a while since we’ve gotten an LP from Counting Crows, with their last release being Somewhere Under Wonderland from way back in 2014.
It was worth the wait of more than a decade. Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets! is a fascinating repolishing of what Adam Duritz said was not a strong enough EP. The album features rewritten songs from Butter Miracle, Suite One, along with five new compositions.
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As mentioned earlier, the new LP features cleaned-up versions of the band’s preceding EP. The revisions of “The Tall Grass”, “Elevator Boots”, “Angel Of 14th Street”, and “Bobby And The Rat-Kings” are all quite beautiful with a level of clarity that wasn’t entirely there in the EP. It’s obvious that Duritz is a bit of a perfectionist. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of polishing, though it would have been interesting to hear a full album of brand-new Counting Crows tunes that we haven’t heard before.
That being said, it wouldn’t be a true album without a handful of new compositions, and those compositions are really the glittering stars of this record. “With Love, From A-Z” is a 90s-era blues-rock delight, and the best possible choice for the album’s opener.
“Spaceman In Tulsa” is Counting Crows in their purest essence, and if it wasn’t for the notably clean and modern production, one might think this song came out in 1994. In a good way, of course. As always, the storytelling and themes within Counting Crows’ tracks and their albums as a whole are large, bold, and rich; something that has been sorely missing in alternative rock as of late. It’s reminiscent of Counting Crows’ classic, “Mr. Jones”. Becoming a rock star can really transform a person, and Duritz echoes that sentiment: “And I’m a painkiller, super fly caterpillar / They can’t break you, man / Another well-nigh butterfly found on a bus out of town / Turning into a motherf*cking rock and roll star.”
“Under The Aurora” was released as the album’s second single, and I can see why. It’s a folk-leaning soundscape with, naturally, plenty of excellent storytelling. Ever stared at a natural wonder and found yourself getting existential? You’ll probably relate to this song.
Overall, Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets! is a lovely little roots rock record, though a longer and fresher body of work would have been more enticing to fans who have been waiting over a decade for a new Counting Crows album.
Counting Crows will kick off a tour in support of Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets! starting on June 10 in Nashville, Tennessee, at The Pinnacle. The international trek, which will feature special guests The Gaslight Anthem for select dates, will come to a close on November 1 in London, England at Ovo Arena Wembley. Don’t forget to order your LP of Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets! via the band’s website.
Photo via cover of ‘Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!’ by Counting Crows
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