UNDERWATER SUNSHINE(Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation)
| Counting Crows
UNDERWATER SUNSHINE(Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation)
Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation) is the sixth studio album by American rock band Counting Crows, released on April 10, 2012, on Cooking Vinyl. The album is composed of cover songs, with vocalist Adam Duritz stating, "Sometimes it's great to play someone else's music and try to make it your own. Sometimes it's great just because it's fun. -WIKIPEDIA
Critic Reviews
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CoS
Underwater Sunshine doesn’t reward listeners with definitive versions or perfect takes. Rather, it’s sprinkled with “keeper” moments and variations (subtle and not so) on originals that feel just right.
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The Guardian
it feels like a ploy to obscure the fact that Underwater Sunshine is a covers album. Some of the 15 songs are little-known (the yearning alt-rocker Jumping Jesus was written by leader Adam Duritz's pre-Crows band, Sordid Humor), but they're still other people's material, and it seems a waste of energy for the Crows to have turned their weatherbeaten attention to them.
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ALL MUSIC
The bandmembers clearly believe in these songs with all their hearts, and it shows in the performances.
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popMATTERS
You gotta hear this new Counting Crows album, they sound like a BAND!
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Cover Me
overall the awesome instrumental work on the solos and the high energy tracks keep the album on the rails.
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CHORD COMPANY
This is the sound of a great band playing songs they love.
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seattle pi
In fact, each of these songs sounds so comfortable and right to me, bringing back memories of the heyday of groups like Pure Prairie League, Marshall Tucker and others, when lyrics and delivery and great instrumental ability combined to make Southern rock such a great soundtrack to my life. This CD is now going to be a part of my listening repertoire in the years to come.
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Bluebird Reviews
Underwater Sunshine is a timeless record that connects current and past music history through the favorite listens of the band. The Counting Crows are so skilled that they've made good song choices to evolve these tracks into their own. They've also challenged themselves and raised the bar a bit on some attempts, which is great for an experienced Counting Crows listener, and a fun jaunt for a newcomer.
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SOUND SPHERE
a solid collection of their favourite covers.
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Mind EQUALS Blown
Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation) is an album consisting only of covered songs. The shocking thing about the album is that you do not even realize it is a cover album until the seventh track “Amie” begins. The band does an extraordinary job making each track sound like an original Counting Crows hit. “Amie,” originally by Pure Prairie League, is really the first song which was not a subtle choice by the Californians.
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the abso!ute sound
A thoughtful selection combines songs by younger artists (including some precursors to the Counting Crows) with some by earlier country and classic rockers.
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POP! BLERD
Crafted with love and performed to the hilt, Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation) is actually pretty awesome.
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Shepherd Express
Different Kind of Covers Album.
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The Lantern
Though “Underwater Sunshine” might come as a disappointment to die-hard fans hoping for some new Counting Crows material, the cover album shows the band’s musical ability and provides a new twist on some old favorites.
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Boston Globe
The covers they have chosen illuminate what they’ve learned from heroes ranging from the natural (Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, Big Star) to the less obvious (Teenage Fanclub, Travis).
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SPACE CITY ROCK
Underwater Sunshine is not an album of original songs, so it’s also not the “new Counting Crows album” in a traditional sense, but it is the album that keeps on giving.
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LOUDER
A serviceable but uninspired covers set.
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QRO
Underwater Sunshine is a thoroughly pleasant work that does the talent present within Counting Crows justice, and contains just enough guitar work and musical substance to keep other musicians happy, and just enough up-beat fun material to break up track after track of delicious, soul-melting balladie goodness.
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EXPRESS
Surprisingly lovely.
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Soundscape
Well worth a listen.
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Nine Bullets
On my second pass through this album I took out a sheet of paper and made 3 columns; “Good”, “Bad”, “Okay” and I started counting songs. The final score played out like this: Good (7), Bad (2) and Okay (7), and for a cover album, that’s a homerun.
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gig slutz
Overall, ‘Somewhere Under Wonderland’ delivers what fans of the band have come to expect, and does more than enough to keep the listener interested and entertained.
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