The Madding Crowd
The Long Island-based Nine Days' major-label debut will most likely be remembered for the track "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)." Prominently showcased on TV'sDawson's Creek, the song's mindless but infectious hook was almost guaranteed to hit its mark in yearning young adults. Even without the visual aid, Nine Days' sound works best when they're going for universal emotion instead of quirky wordplay and, though definitely not original, the songs onThe Madding Crowdare well-produced and competently executed. While the band claimsBruce SpringsteenandBob Dylanamong their influences (hence the track "Bob Dylan"), they're not far fromThird Eye Blind("Absolutely") or evenBon Jovi("Sometimes") thanks to vocalist/guitarist John Hampson's raspy voice. The group's mixture of folk, rock, and essential emotional bombast comes naturally to them, even if it seems like the band could be doing so much more.--Jason Josephes