This album was completely an impulse purchase, I admit. I had only heard one single by this group - the chart-topping "Mr. Jones," and I liked it a lot, so I thought I'd take a chance and see if the rest of the album met the standard of "Mr. Jones." It did.

First, let me say that the way Counting Crows makes music reminds me of lonely dusty roads and dreamy summer days. I can't really describe the music - it's almost as if someone took the beautiful, meaningful lyrics of R.E.M. and combined them with the beat and musical ability of the Spin Doctors. It turns out, the entire tape is one haunting tune after another. "Anna Begins" is probably the most beautiful song on the album, and while it is a song about exploring the possibilities of love, Adam Duritz (lead vocalist and lyricist for Counting Crows) bypasses clich"d moans of the beauty and power of love and instead regards this possibility realistically, pondering the causes and consequences of this inexplicable emotion.

This is a wonderfully uplifting album, one I highly recommend to anyone tired of over-used love tunes and unmusical rap/techno. .