Very few bands remain fresh after two decades. The truth is that, as much as some of us hate to admit it, music has changed drastically since the 90’s. The indie rock mentality that made the Generation-X era so fantastic either went mainstream or simply faded away. Not so with Cracker, who debuts their eighth album “Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey” in May.
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Cracker |  Entertainment
Art
"Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey"
(429 Records)
Released May 5, 2009
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After seventeen years the band is in top form on the album. There are some rough patches but overall it is a strong, solid record. Filled with strong beats and intellectual lyrics it is sure to be a crowd pleaser for die-hard fans.
For those who don’t know Cracker it might not catch on. Many songs on the album tend to sound very similar and lack the raw energy of previous albums. For every strong track there is one that doesn’t quite feel right. The most obvious case would be “Show Me How This Thing Works” a song that really means well but has one of those choruses that will be stuck in your head for days. The actual lyrics are pretty good but after the song is over only the repetitive chorus remains.
The band really shines when it gets back to its roots. Tracks like “Friends” and “Darling One” bring out the southern rock vibes in full force. Country music fans especially will take to “Friends” as it presents a new and improved version of the modern country ballad.
By far the best track on the album is “Tune On Tune in Drop Out With Me” a nearly perfect song. Nothing else on the album captures that laid, original style that made Cracker what they were in their heyday.
Though the rest of the album remains good it is hard not to notice that the band has picked up some familiar styles since their last album. The opening of “I Could Be Wrong I Could Be Right” sounded so much like Phish I had to double check the track listing just to make sure I still had the right album.
To their credit every track has a slightly different element to it. The result is a genre-bending album that both caters to new listeners and sends out a valentine to long timer fans. Though I cannot say the album is worth running out to get right away, I do think it will have lasting value down the road.
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