Augustana Album: “All the Stars & Boulevards [Digipak]”

Let me first qualify this review by saying that I am the proud owner of over 1500 CDs and am also a 5-instrument musician, so music has been a staple in my life for almost 25 years.

This is one of those rare CDs that you can hit play and just "let it ride". I haven't heard anyone capture that middle America vibe like this since Counting Crows debut ("Omaha" comes to mind) or the "Recovering the Satellites" album ("Have You Seen Me Lately?" and others). They take this vibe, meld it with solid arrangements, clean-as-a-whistle production (courtesy of Brendan O'Brien), and themes of hopeFULness over hopeLESSness. On top of that, I hung out with these guys in October when they opened for Our Lady Peace in St Pete, FL and Jared and Dan are very cool guys (with GREAT musical taste, by the way...all hail Oasis). Do yourself a favor, buy the CD, pop it in, and LET IT PLAY. Don't just get hung up on listening to "Stars" or "Boston", though they are both great tunes. Search deeper and you'll likely be thrilled at what you find.

By the way, the ONLY reason I held back a star is because I'm saving the 5-star rating for the follow-up. Here's betting they'll avoid that sophomore album slump that unravels so many great bands.

I dislike albums where every song sounds just like the last one - this is definitely NOT one of those albums. This album is a true treat for the ears as well as the soul. I heard these guys for the first time as the opening act for The Fray and was so completely impressed by their live performance that I became a fan that very night. This is not my usual MO. The night I saw them Dan claimed to be feeling ill, but he still sounded incredible and put his heart and soul into the perfomance. Their musicality, their energy, and their lyrics are beyond compare. When was the last time you heard a mandolin in your favorite rock song? This album is worth a listen (and a purchase). It is on repeat on my ipod (over and over and over again).

I found Augustana by way of The Fray about 6 months ago and just saw them in concert. They were not the headliners but put on the best performance of the night without a doubt. They performed songs that are not found on their cd but are great and worth a listen. I am already anticipating their next album and I have a ticket to their show in Austin Tuesday night. Buy the album you won't be sorry.

I just picked up this CD and overall I'm pleased with my purchase. I can't speak wonders about the CD, and my 3-rating is realistic, as I don't believe in handing out five stars to anything I slightly enjoy. "Mayfield" is a fine track, and I enjoyed "Bullets" and "Stars and Boulevards". Two of my favorites are "Wasteland", a song that refers to LA when it says "cause it's 5 o'clock, the hour stops the sunlight, the buildings shade the masquerade and kill time" and "Sunday Best". The best track and the reason that I believe people should check out Augustana is the track "Boston", which is one of the best songs I've heard in months. The slow build-up, the great voice, and the powerful ending, combined with the touching lyrics really help you to feel the emotion in the song. I'm not one to believe anyone should buy a cd for one song, but if you want the hear a great song along with some other pretty good tracks, I suggest you shell out a few dollars and pick up Augustana.

This band is awesome. The lyrics are amazing and their live show is truly something not to miss. A must buy!