Judge a CD By its Cover

The Bart Crow Band "Desperate Hearts"

Have you ever seen a CD at the store and bought it just based on its cover? Probably not. But cover art is important. It's like the cover to a book. Everyone says "Don't judge a book by its cover." Well, at Buzz, we're going to do just that. We're taking local and national artists and judging their albums based on the cover art. Not fair, you say? Don't worry, we're going to take a listen to the music, too. Buzz girl Lauren Drinkard will give her opinion of the CD based on the cover, while Buzz's chief music critic Matthew Stoff reviews the music. The end result is interesting, to say the least.

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The face value

BY LAUREN DRINKARD

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the cover was Santana. The difference is that Santana covers usually include mystical overtones and this cover has a scene that could even be considered ordinary of East Texas. The rich, vibrant and saturated colors would lead me to think there is a lot of meaning and thought put into the lyrics of their songs.

On the cover, there are two black birds flying overhead. Many people associate crows or ravens and black with death. Traditional symbolism says that these birds and black can also have the opposite meaning, too. While black is considered a color of mourning, it is also associated with promise and two black birds sitting together symbolizes peace and good fortune. The key to deciphering the meaning of this cover is the sunset or sunrise and it is hard to tell which it is.

The text on the cover says "Pouring out my heart" and "Showing your scars." These words seem to indicate a healing process because it often takes recognizing and speaking your inner battles to others to begin to overcome your obstacles. The the album name, "Desperate Hearts" also seems to speak of someone who is have a personal conflict of the heart and trying to figure it out.

To sum it up, I believe we are looking at a sunrise with two black birds that symbolize good things to come in the future. I predict this is a CD full of deep, meaningful lyrics that most listeners can identify with.

The music

BY MATTHEW STOFF

Bart Crow has a lot on his mind from the sound of his new record.

"Desperate Hearts" is a much-anticipated release in the Texas music scene, a follow-up to The Bart Crow Band's 2005 release, "Finally."

Mixing rock with country in roughly equal parts, Crow serves up a curious cocktail that goes down easy in spite of lyrics that rival teenage poetry for their teary-eyed angst. To highlight the issue, one need only consult the album's cover, which bears a subtitle that stands in for the rest of the album's lyrics. "Pouring out my heart, showing your scars" is a good summary of Crow's lyrical ambition on the album, though there are only a handful of instances where he successfully makes the jump from tired clichés to literary insight.

The upside is that Crow and his band mates are skilled musicians capable of distracting you from the thematic tedium. What Crow's lyrics lack in diversity is more than made up for in musical variety. The three-piece group (plus 10 contributors listed in the liner notes and the magic of the recording studio) spits out a repertoire of engaging, unique songs, with hooks that will grab you right away. With each track, the mood changes pleasantly, and listeners will enjoy a new sound every 3 or 4 minutes.

"Change" is a standout track. The band packs a lot of original sound into a simple framework and keeps you guessing when strange and intriguing bits of noise begin to creep into the mix, like an engine shedding bolts as it revs toward the finish line. Even the subject of Crow's singing is notable here, as he reflects on a world beyond his own loneliness and heartbreak.

"I think it's time for a change / Time to rearrange / the world has gotten strange," he sings. He pulls together the weirdness when he observes, "We got the men and the women / and they're dying with their children / for a presidential ribbon they don't understand."

It's no surprise that war and death are the grist for Crows boldest song. An auto-biography on his Web site credits his three-year tour in the U.S. Army with giving him the courage to start his career.

Fan reviews on LoneStarMusic.com predict "Tami," a rollicking tune of remorse, will be his runaway hit. A far more likely radio single is "New York," which boasts a groovy syncopated beat, an instantly-catchy guitar line and a chorus drenched in rich organ sounds.

Crow stays close to his country roots with "Once a Day," a ballad that shoes off classic fiddle accompaniment. "St. Valentine" is a soft-rock song — yes, about love and sadness — that displays the range of roles possible for one lead guitar to play in a single song.

"Desperate Hearts" is a serious and enjoyable album that's earned its ticket out of the indie stores and onto the shelves in big-chain retailers like Wal-Mart and Hastings. And for sure, it belongs in the CD players of any serious fan of new, creative Texas music.