This came out in 2006 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
They say getting there is half the fun. They don’t know David Lowery.
The uncompromising singer-guitarist is a man who does nothing by half-measures. And now that he is finally able to balance and integrate his musical alter-egos — the multi-culti eccentricity of Camper Van Beethoven and the earthiness of Cracker — he clearly wants the best of both worlds. And to enjoy the ride while he’s at it.
As a result, Cracker’s eighth studio release Greenland — and first disc of all-new material in four years — is nothing if not a sonic trek that is as eventful as a trip to its titular locale. Things start off rootsy with the strummy twang of Something You Ain’t Got and the lightly crunchy Maggie. Then they slowly shift into riffier, rockier terrain with the Kinksian Where Have Those Days Gone, the Who-ish Riverside and the fuzzy blues-rock of Gimme One More Chance. We hit cruising altitude with the Floydian space-flight of Sidi Ifni and Minotaur. The dusty piano ballad Night Falls and the dubby casbah-rock of Better Times Are Coming Our Way are the start of a smooth descent interrupted only by one last blast of turbulent roots-rock from Everybody Gets One For Free. But by the time the band touch down (and come full circle) an hour later with the Pavementish closer Darling We’re Out Of Time, you know you’ve been somewhere. And you can’t wait to hit play and take a return trip. Just remember to fasten your seatbelt.
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