Cracker - Greenland

I picked up my new copy of Cracker’s Greenland shortly after it was released, like any good fan would do. When I saw a nearby venue listed for the new tour to support the album, I made plans to attend, also, like any good fan would do. You may now consider yourself formally warned about a potential bias fueling the perspective of this review. It’s been four years since Cracker’s last album of new material, Forever, but the band hasn’t been slouching. During that span frontman Dave Lowery released New Roman Times with his old band, Camper Van Beethoven. Guitarist Johnny Hickman released his first solo album, Palmhenge. Cracker also released Countrysides, a collection of honky-tonk inspired cover songs. Add to that a greatest hits collection and incessant touring with all manner of multi-band formations, and you have a pretty packed schedule. With all the different directions in the air, I was curious how this record would sound, and with the continuous progress of time, I also wondered how the band’s energy would fare. A glimpse from the show I saw: After a rousing performance of “Gimme One More Chance” from the new album, a somewhat impudent Lowery quietly proclaimed “See, we still rock.” And they did. But they also did a lot of other things. Greenland may well be the quintessential Cracker album. A warming mix of rock and folk, and fun and retrospect, it touches on many musical tangents without trying overly hard. Vaguely quaint and mysterious, Lowery’s writing is also very accessible- perhaps more so than usual. When he sings, despite the personal, offbeat nature of the material, somehow he’s singing for you. The mood is well set with the opener “Something You Ain’t Got.” The wistful yet jaunty folk-rocker might have you singing on the first listen. It goes well from there. However, I did notice two shortfalls: 1) Johnny Hickman doesn’t take lead vocals for any of the songs, and 2) The departure of bassist Brandy Wood leaves a noticeable absence of strong female vocals that helped round out the band’s sound. As Cracker fans might attest, most albums have at least one song that hits home deeply- a la “Big Dipper” or “Sweet Magdalena of my Misfortune.” The record surely has its share of those gems tucked away as well. I have a tendency to initially dislike new releases by my favorite bands, but Greenland has won me over in record time. [www.crackersoul.com]