ounting Crows have not yet made the one album that distinguishes them from their influences. You know by now who those are, so there is no need to bore you with them again. Some could argue that August and Everything After is that album, but for every heartbreakingly great “Raining In Baltimore”, there is another “Mr. Jones”. It’s of course not horrible to have such a hit song, but the ability to craft amazing, yet derivative, singles is does nothing to distinguish you from your forebearers.


Hard Candy’s” best moments, however, are fewer and further between than on previous albums. There is the ultra-catchy single, “American Girls”, which may take several months or longer to appreciate, but will one day dig its hooks into you. “Girls” is, simply put, perfect beach music. You know the kind that emanates from those tiny transistor radios? You hear it faintly, but you recognize it instantly.


“Miami”, starts off a little flat, so much so, that the castanets that are added as flavor, come off as rather obvious. But, as the song progresses to a rather emotional finale, with dramatic synthesizers, a harmonic chorus, and Adam Duritz’s agony and sorrow pouring out, the song ultimately commands respect. “Carriage” is a sweet sounding song with some sorrowful trumpet courtesy of Andre “Don” Carter. “Black and Blue”, features beautiful vocal accompaniment by Leona Naess and some low, mournful organ work from Charles Gillingham. The song is quiet, detailing the desire of someone wanting to end their own life, wrapping the listener in its intensity.


The best cut on the album, however, is “Up All Night (Frankie Miller Goes To Hollywood)”. With its bluesy piano that leads into a rousing blues/r&b groove, replete with congas (courtesy of producer Ethan Johns) and a soaring chorus, that shows the band at their most gospel-like, everything comes together in this one song. The closer, “Holiday In Spain” is another downcast bummer written by Duritz, but the gentle piano and Duritz’s vocals hit at the heart without going all syrupy on you.


As good as these songs are, however, there are plenty of others to nearly negate their worth. “If I Could Give All My Love -or- Richard Manuel Is Dead”, wherein the death of Manuel (of The Band-fame) in 1986 is the catalyst for another sad-sack tale of Duritz’s love life that just comes off as crass and self-serving a sentiment. Or, “Butterfly In Reverse”, which bores with its lilting piano and waltz-y rhythms, and has Duritz going on about how special his new love is. Ryan Adams turns up on this one to co-write and provide background vocals. But the worst song is the band’s pitiful attempt at new wave on “New Frontier”. It is the sonic equivalent of Van Morrison jamming with the Psychedelic Furs.


Overall, this is an album that got better after repeated listens. The original thinking may be that there are only about two good songs on here, but spinning it through a bit breeds appreciation. This band knows what they are doing, at least most of the time, and are skillful in how they do it. They need to break free of their own restrictions it seems, air their sound out, and loosen things up a bit. They have the potential to unleash an album as great as any of their influences were capable of if they can just relax and enjoy themselves.