Reviews6 out of 10 - "...strikes the same oddly compelling, melancholy chord as its predecessors - a crafty, referential rock that should play well to licensed psychotherapists and VH1 viewers alike....DESERT LIFE affirms that Counting Crows are genuinely affecting songwriters...", "...a sandbank of relentless, parochial misery....amiable...yet, generates a worrying, overwhelming sadness...", "...whether the band is working out an up-tempo number or looking deep into itself on ballads, each track on THIS DESERT LIFE is compelling, powerful and poetic.", 4 stars out of 5 - "...pushes songwriter, Adam Duritz to the fore, enhancing his narrative flair on the lengthy Mrs.Potter's Lullaby and the string-drenched 'All My Friends'...", 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...a couple of the best things they've ever done....Adam Duritz rises to the occasion of a stellar arrangement featuring discursive strings, spacey synths and river-deep basses..."