In The blatantly Springsteenian opening moment of 'August and Everything After,' in which Adam Duritz sings of ghosts and angels to the accompaniment of a single heroic guitar riff, Counting Crows announces itself as a big-shouldered band, ready to follow in the footsteps of gruff-voiced bards (Springsteen, Van Morrison, John Mellencamp, Bob Seger) with songs as vast as all America. That's mythic backstreets America, of course, the subject of such stirring and mildly preposterous Crows songs as 'Omaha' and 'Rain in Baltimore.' This California band would never record a song called 'Van Nuys' or 'Mall of America.'
Enlisting accordions, mandolin, pedal steel, and harmonica to flavor the usual rock instrumentation, the Crows play transliterated Celtic-rock not unlike the Hooters'. Such music seems to require a sense of self importance, and the quintet is not lacking: 'I felt so symbolic yesterday,' explains Duritz in 'Mr. Jones.' Perhaps someday the band will recognize that such bluster just creates a drag on its full-bodied melodies; in the meantime, 'August' is both catchy and silly. COUNTING CROWS -- 'August and Everything After' (DGC). Appearing Tuesday with Suede and the Cranberries at WUST Music Hall. To hear a Sound Bite from this album, call 202/334-9000 and press 8119.