Is that a cool album cover or what? This CD was put out about one year ago after an extended hiatus. The break served them well, and while this release did not put them back at the top of the charts, it is one of their best and I hope their future work is in the same vein.
All things good about Soul Asylum shine through on this CD...but best of all, Dave Pirner brought some great songs to the table. The past decade has seen Soul Asylum migrating more and more towards melodic rock, which one might think would have helped them survive the post-grunge/alternative era. It is a shame they have become the Rodney Dangerfields of rock.
Age has done little to change Dave's characteristic voice, and well-placed harmonies abound on most of the tracks here. The first half of the CD is nearly flawless, with more emphasis on upbeat stuff than the last Soul Asylum effort, the uneven "Candy From A Stranger" (1998). While lyrically trite, "Stand Up and Be Strong" is very addictive and sets the tone for a comeback record. Actually, most of the lyrics on this record are a bit simplistic ("Crazy Mixed Up World" (video); this is a good thing given that Pirner has an affinity to write some really goofy stuff (e.g., "String of Pearls" from Let Your Dim Light Shine). They explore similar themes from world politics to politics of love, but what really does it for me is the infectious energy in most of tunes this time out.
Soul Asylum on myspace and their web site.
iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12
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