The Counting Crows are back with a new album, “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings.” There are 14 new songs and while some are great, many fall short of fans’ expectations.

A positive aspect of the album is the variety. Even the songs that are not great provide the listener with different beats and moods so that the emotions and feelings are not consistent for every track. Sometimes there is a soft acoustic rhythm, like in “Washington Square,” or a raging, blasting electric guitar, such as the one in “1492.” The wide spectrum of instruments include regular instruments such as guitars and drums but also the more obscure such as the harmonica in “On Almost Any Sunday Morning.”

However, the lyrics of the album are not up to par, with complicated and strange words that do not convey a particular message. There are some great hits by other artists that may have been random, but seemed to communicate a point or idea. For a majority of the songs in this album, however, there is none.

Most importantly, most of the instrumental skills were quite impressive with excellent guitar solos and a consistent drum beat. However, the drums are not afraid to take some risks and are brave enough to be wild at times.

One disappointment about the album is that it does not seem to expand on the artists’ abilities. Although most of their work is commendable, they continue to sound the same and don’t take many risks.

As the album progresses, it gets softer in tone and the themes of the song become more depressing. It starts off with accelerated tracks that get the listener pumped and excited, but then it slows down. Instead of electric guitar solos, it focuses more on piano and acoustic guitars. The drums play a big role throughout the album, whether the song is intense or mellow.

Overall the album is definitely worth looking into. Even if it is just a browse of some songs on iTunes or the purchase of the entire CD, listeners should try it out.