Customer Reviews

All The Stars And Boulevards (+3 Bonus Tracks) [ENHANCED]

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I heard "Boston" long before it became popular. Honestly, if I hadn't listened to it on XM radio, I wouldn't have known who performed it, and would never have found Augustana when I did. I got the CD shortly after, but didn't really listen to it (I admit, I was sort of caught up in listening to "The Fray.") But I soon came around to taking a good listen to this CD, and let me tell you, it is awesome! There is not a single song that sounds like another, yet it all sounds warmly familiar. Great CD! Go buy it! You won't be sorry.

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.

Like James Blunt and Corrine Bailey Rae, I stumbled on Augustana thanks to a `check these guys out' spot on VH1 and had to immediately grab their album and give them a listen. Like the aforementioned, I was pleasantly rewarded upon tearing off the protective plastic and sliding this shiny disc into my car stereo. I'm a sucker for dramatic rock, the ballads with heart and soul that give me shivers and place me on the verge of tears, so it's safe to say that upon hearing `Boston' I was immediately smitten with this band, for with the piano work and soft lyrics it serves as one of the most powerful ballads I've heard in a long time, evoking emotions in me that only music can find and expose.

Along the lines of `Boston' is the equally impressive `Sunday Best' which mixes melodic music with soft and subtle lyrics that draw you in and stay with you. Songs like `Lonely People' and `Bullets' have that straight rock feeling that will get you moving and are perfect for in-car sing-a-longs. But, like I always say, a true testament to an albums worth is found in the strength of the opening and closing track, and this album both opens and closes very strong. Starting with `Mayfield', which showcases not only the soft and delicate side but also the catchy side of this band, and then closing with the Beatlesesque `Coffee & Cigarettes', which reminds me of Finger Elevens `One Thing', Augustana delivers track-for-track perfection and proves to be one of the better debut albums released recently.

So, in reply to the question raised in `Mayfield', the question I chose for the title of this review... "Are we gonna make it?"...well, if you turn out music as deep, moving and genuine as this then not only will you make it, but you'll deserve to make it, and that is rarely the case.

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).

One of the best albums of 2005. One of very few albums I've purchased in years that I can play from start to finish, over and over, and never get tired of a single track. The melodies are beautiful, the lyrics are poignant, and the cd is perfect for listening while soaring down the road with the trees flying past. mainly: the cd is loaded with good, solid tracks. if you like Boston and merely want other radio-friendly pop melodies ONLY, then perhaps this cd isn't for you (see an earlier review for reference). But if you're looking for something deeper, more contemplative and soul-searching without being opressive, with soaring guitars and achingly beautiful vocals... then this cd is for you. I highly, highly recommend this album.

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've never written a review before but this band impressed me so much, I just had to write one to vouch for them. I had heard their song, "Boston" on the radio and was hooked. I previewed 30 second clips of their album online before I purchased and thought they were pretty good. Once I got my hands on the album, I haven't stopped playing it since! I agree with one previous reviewer, you just have to let the album play!

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.

Based on the strength of `Boston' alone I purchased this album, having heard nothing else from the band, and quite frankly it didn't matter if the rest of the album was terrible; `Boston' is a tremendous song that still makes me shiver to this day.

I really do wish though, that the rest of the album was better.

The issue I have with Augustana is not that they are a bad band, in fact their sophomore album is a big improvement from their debut. The issue I have is that here, on this release, they seem to have run out of ideas very quickly and thus regurgitate the same thoughts (and nearly the same sentences) over and over. California is referenced on half the album in the same context (usually someone wants to go there). It kind of reminds me of the feeling I got when listening to Godsmack's debut album and hearing their incessant need to repeat phrases like `Go Away' and `Get Out' and `Keep Away'.

It's disheartening in a way.

Outside of `Boston' there really isn't any complete standouts for me, at least not in the way that `Boston' stands out. `Mayfield' was a nice way to open the album, and it kind of defines the album in way, setting the tone for the bulk of their tracks. `Bullets' is a fun and enjoyable song. `Feel Fine' has a memorable factor to it, and tracks like `Wasteland' and `Sunday Best' really give a smooth tone and delicacy to the band that I appreciated.

Like I said, they are not a bad band at all.

`Hotel Roosevelt' and `Stars and Boulevards' are simply mediocre. They aren't bad but they lack any real pop to them. They are simply forgettable. `Lonely People' is kind of bad to be honest, and `California's Burning' is horrible.

`Coffee and Cigarettes' is one of the better tracks on the album, for it possesses the soul of The Beatles, and bands of that nature, giving the album a classic edge that makes Augustana stand out a little; something that none of the other tracks (outside of `Boston') are able to do. I think that this would have been a nice direction for them to explore, but they never really do.

So, in the end I can say that this is a serviceable album that has some nice tracks and a solid stunner on its hands; but it also has its fair share of mediocrity. They grew from here, and `Can't Love, Can't Hurt' is a much better album overall. Still, there is something about Augustana that irritates me. Maybe it's that they have the potential to be so much better yet they fail to capitalize on that said potential.

Don't you hate it when that happens!

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