Collating the better parts of Counting Crows and the more mediocre strains of My Bloody Valentine Dynamite Steps is a collecting of songs which lie vapidly twixt melancholia and soft rock occupying the space between The National and The Verve. No, I wasn't aware it needed filling either.
In spite of all this, Dynamite Steps isn't bad; songs like “Blackbird and the Fox” and “Waves” have their moments, peaking my interest and speaker volume. But they are moments. As a whole, the album is incredibly well-produced - the quality of instrumentalism can't be faulted in that sense - and the melancholic grunge-esque tone of Greg Dulli's vocals do have a certain appeal, making connections from time to time. But they don't have the same lyrical prowess as the national – the same flair for capturing the Human spirit in verse and marrying that off with their instruments – and they're not the verve either. This album feels a little like an homage – sounds and ideas that will appeal to a certain audience affected more my music-past than present or future – it's a good collection of songs, probably perfect for soundtracking heartbreak and angst in an ineffectual and insincere film some time in the future.

It's a fine listen. But don't expect absorption or epiphany.