Once the brainstorm moniker Counting Crows glided off the tongue of Adam Duritz and was sanctioned by the rest of the musical stem cells, the band members gelled together. Eventually, they materialized in form from inked nursery rhyme words that escaped off the page, as mischievous crows with outstretched wings raucously navigated the wind currents of the baby blue sky. The band somersaulted in the air and cawed its way into mainstream consciousness with the emotive hit single, “Mr. Jones,” a musical breezy feather off their 1993 debut album August and Everything After. It was the beginning of an impressive musical journey for the group.
The years raced by, and album after album was plopped onto open ears of hungry fans eagerly awaiting the coveted musical morsels that the Counting Crows proffered. Unfortunately, the Counting Crows was felled in midair by the global pandemic. The band took this unexpected downtime for inner reflection and seized the opportunity to engage in other creative pursuits during the world’s convalescence. Not one to squander time, Adam Duritz alighted on a tree branch and redirected his stream of creative genius as a foodie extraordinaire. Thus, a Rock-n-Roll seasoned podcast was born, Food is the New Rock. A new vision of Rock–n-Roll was fed to the starving masses.
This sparked the idea of a food-inspired Rock album, and Butter Miracle, Suite One was born. This four-song EP, released in 2021, was a perfect smorgasbord of listening delights, capturing the hearts and appetites of new devotees of gourmet Rock-n-roll with its herbal blend of lyrical prose. Inspired by the reception of the Butter Miracle, Suite One EP, the Counting Crows decided to extend the waistband of Butter Miracle, Suite One EP into a full-length album, Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!, by adding five more noteworthy original tracks. Released via BMG on May 9, 2025, in support of their eighth studio album, the band embarks on a globetrotting tour this summer that takes them across North America and Europe.
One might raise an eyebrow or two and wonder whether these additional tracks enrich the pleasurable listening experience of the original EP? The answer is a resounding yes!
Complete with nine songs this time, the energetic guitar rhythm intro of “With Love From A-Z” suggests the penetrating fall of the tide pummeling the surf with gusto, bringing with it a gift of the ocean. Cradled in a crystalline blanket of watery dreams is a jazzy soundscape that shimmers and shines with the collective memories of a lifetime of relationships that span through time and space. Beyond this, the drum tapping sequence intro in “Spaceman in Tulsa” serves as a prelude to a groovy beach vibe, characterized by frenetic guitar riffs that carry the mind off onto a surfboard of vocals that simulate a tumultuous roller coaster ride, blending vivid images with emotional intensity to create an intoxicating auditory experience.
Then “Boxcars” starts with a quick-paced drumstick tempo, accentuating the twangy guitar riffs, reminiscent of the roiling movement of boxcars, which moves mindlessly along one direction under the power of a train engine. A person is like a boxcar isolated and cocooned in the world of their creation, severing old relationships that no longer serve them and forging new connections in this journey called life. Here, life is but a blockbuster movie best served with an autopilot mindset and a craving for butter-topped popcorn and a sugary beverage.
This is while “Virginia Through the Rain” is a somewhat melancholy piece with an upbeat tempo, akin to savoring sips of hot chocolate on a cold, dreary day, with rain pelting on the roof and windowpanes. It begins with a theatrical opening melody and pulsates with a heartfelt, emotional timbre of yearning throughout the track. The ending is soft and soul-stirring as one reflects on the power of perseverance and the necessity of finding beauty in the things that surround us, despite the daily struggles we face.
Furthermore, the upbeat tempo of “Under the Aurora” is energetic with notes taking flight and penetrating the human electromagnetic cocoon and invigorating the psyche with a flood of endorphins that ping down neurons releasing worry of the future and replacing it with a vision of hope when discerning eyes sweep across the vast night sky for any noteworthy sign that heralds the arrival of a long awaited change in either situational circumstances or evolutional mindset shifts within the tapestry of life.
Overall, Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets! is indeed an achievement worth crowing over. Inspired by an insatiable love for confectioneries, we find that cooking and music go together hand in hand. One might raise an eyebrow or two at the incongruity of the album title, but when you listen to it, it is not too much of a mental stretch. Powered by the heart, the musical landscape is familiar yet reshaped by tectonic movements. With additional tracks seamlessly integrated, Cryptic Rock gives Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets! 5 out of 5 stars.
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