Augustana: All The Stars and Boulevards : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

"Are we going to make it?" moans Dan Layus on "Mayfield," the leadoff track on All the Stars and Boulevards. Since Augustana seem to have answered a central-casting call for Young Unthreatening Modern Rock Band, the casual listener would be forgiven for wondering if Layus was singing about Augustana's career prospects, rather than the fate of some doomed relationship. The good news for Layus, however, is that the answer is probably yes. Sporting tuneful melodies, heartfelt if adenoidal ballads and a tasteful amount of guitar, Augustana are ready for their guest appearance on just about any WB show (OK, maybe not Reba). The album was polished to a high gloss by producer Brendan O'Brien, who has worked with Bruce Springsteen and Rage Against the Machine -- although his more relevant credits in this case are the Wallflowers and Train.