For their second album,
Recovering the Satellites,
Counting Crows crafted a self-consciously challenging response to their unexpected success. Throughout the record,
Adam Duritz contemplates his loss of privacy and sudden change of fortunes, among other angst-ridden subjects. In one sense, it's no different from the subjects that dominated
August and Everything After, yet his outlook is lacking the muted joy that made
"Mr. Jones" into a hit. Similarly, the music is slightly more somber, yet the approach is harder and more direct, which gives even the
ballads a more affecting, visceral feel.
Recovering the Satellites occasionally bogs down in its own pretentiousness -- for a
roots rock band, the group certainly has a lot of artsy goals -- yet when they scale back their ambitions to simple
folk-rock, such as on the single
"A Long December," they are at their most articulate. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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