Written by J. Dylan White

If at first you don’t succeed, try again. For the 1990s alt-rock staple Counting Crows, that means transforming their 2021 EP “Butter Miracle Suite One” into a vibrant, full-length release.

With their latest album “Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!” Counting Crows proves persistence pays off, refining the EP’s tracks and adding five new songs to craft a record that blends their signature sound with a fresh, heartland-inspired energy.

Their first full-length record since “Somewhere Under Wonderland” in 2014, Counting Crows ensures this is a quality effort, delighting fans across all phases and styles of their music by weaving in elements as far-reaching as  “Recovering the Satellites” from 1996.

With their meteoric success after “August and Everything After” in 1993, featuring hits like the debut single “Mr. Jones” and “Round Here,” Counting Crows has been measured by the lightning-in-a-bottle success of that album, which is perhaps unfair to the ways the band has tried to expand and grow musically over more than three decades.

“Butter Miracle” is an homage to the foundation of the band while presenting  their trademark alternative and roots rock style in a sleek, modern way that makes the 1990s feel fresh in 2025. The irony of the release is its freshness stems from calling upon the past, and the blending of contrasting styles into a coherent tapestry makes it a success.

Seamlessly integrating their signature sound with echoes of classic rock, Counting Crows produces one of their most lively records since the 1999 LP “This Desert Life” with tuneful beats and impassioned vocals from lead singer Adam Duritz in a respectable 40-minute package.

Opening with the blues-rock ballad “With Love, From A-Z,” the record immediately declares the rich, soulful vibes that permeate the release as the electric organ wraps around the lyrics “I may leave you a lot, but I won’t leave you alone / ‘Cause these words are the essence of me / I send ‘em with love, from A to Z.”

Shifting to a narrative-based approach, “Spaceman In Tulsa” is a character-focused romp that explores transformation and life changes. Duritz’s gritty spoken-word delivery recalls Springsteen’s “Blinded by the Light,” while a melodic piano riff in the verses invokes Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis.”

Anchored by a strong, cutting guitar riff, “Boxcars” is one of the grungiest songs on “Butter Miracle” and channels the edge featured on the 2008 release “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings.”

Offering a small respite, “Virginia Through The Rain” is the type of waltzy piano ballad that Counting Crows is renowned for. Duritz’s vocals could be confused for Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder’s recent solo work as he waxes across the soft rock backbeat; “All my memories fit into a frame / But I can barely see the morning through the rain.”

In an already emotional and passionate record to this point, “Virginia” holds some of the most moving elements on the album with tender lyricism and affectionate piano riffs.

“Under the Aurora” concludes the new tracks of “Butter Miracle.” A syncopated backbeat accompanied by a grand piano overlaid with an infectious melody makes this a quintessential Counting Crows track.

Duritz’s joy in this song seeps through the soundwaves and elevates the experience for listeners as his zeal shows that this album is a passion project.

“The Tall Grass” begins the rereleased portion of the album, containing the four songs on the EP “Butter Miracle Suite One.” An electronic beat, reminiscent of a certain Phil Collins classic, permeates the track alongside the most poignant lyrics on the record.

Duritz cries “Hey, can you see me? / For I am changing / But all the same things / Come back to haunt me,” as he reflects upon humanity and the meaning of life. Many of the lyrics in “Tall Grass” could be applied to the band itself and the changes they have undergone over more than 30 years.

The track is not the most catchy or exciting on the record, but it is one of the deepest and most meaningful, so it may take a few listens to truly appreciate what it is offering.

The final three tracks on “Butter Miracle” LP all are linked together musically like they are one song, but they are separated into three distinct songs. “Elevator Boots” has a folksy, country vibe that mashes the instrumentation of Simon & Garfunkel with the edge of Daryl Hall & John Oates. It is a much cleaner and better mixed version of the song than appears on the “Butter Miracle” EP as Duritz’s vocals are lifted above the instrumentation to prevent the muddiness present in the initial release.

A descending chord links the end of “Elevator Boots” and continues seamlessly into “Angel of 14^th Street,” which continues the narrative-based storytelling that is prominent on the record with a metaphorical “king” and “angel” character. This track feels inspired by the songwriting of Bob Dylan and has a unique trumpet solo interlude before the final verse and chorus.

“Bobby and the Rat-Kings” can best be framed as Counting Crows’ version of a Springsteen closing track like “Jungleland.” The most grandiose song on the record, it features imagery and characters like the “Rat-King,” perhaps an illusion to the “Rat” in Springsteen’s mythology, and a mid-song piano break with vocal phrasing and piano accompaniment strongly associated with the famous cut from “Born to Run.”

 The album’s track order from start to finish is superb, and the closing of the record with “Bobby and the Rat-Kings” fits the best when compared to any of the other songs, especially with the construction of a flowing story between the tracks.

Without a doubt, “Butter Miracle” is some of the best that Counting Crows has to offer, not just recently, but in their whole discography. While it may not hit the heights of “August” or “This Desert Life,” it certainly holds its own with meaningful storytelling and memorable, catchy licks.

The front half of the record is extremely strong and could compete for the best run of songs to start a record the band has produced. While the rereleased tracks like “Elevator Boots” benefit from crisper production, they lack the emotional depth of new songs like “Virginia Through The Rain,” slightly disrupting the album’s momentum.

“Butter Miracle” does everything a new release after more than a decade needs to do: it blends the expectations created by the band’s old music with a fresh, interesting method of execution that allows Counting Crows to grow and explore musically while simultaneously feeling rooted in the sphere the band cut its teeth in.