CRACKER
Forever
Virgin
Dave Lowery and Johnny Hickman have always been the heart and soul of Cracker. Lowery’s raspy drawl and Hickman’s bluesy slide guitar defined Cracker’s unique brand of Southern rock, which saw them outlive a decade's worth of "where are they now" college rockers. Lowery’s sharp, witty lyrics and the band’s alt-country leanings helped them sound like a twangier, more lucid version of the Black Crowes.
The new album Forever is more of the same. The high lonesome sound of the title track and the gospel funk of "Shameless" are both vintage Cracker. Elsewhere, Hickman shows off his rock chops on "Miss Santa Cruz County," reminiscent of a less psychedelic Meat Puppets.
Unfortunately the album hits a brick wall with the closer, "What You’re Missing." Defying the conventional wisdom that says always leave your audience wanting more, this rap-rock number serves only to challenge the listener's tolerance. While a bit of levity is to be expected from the man who penned "Let’s Take the Skinheads Bowling," "What You’re Missing" is painfully unfunny and only detracts from what is otherwise a very good album.
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