Red Letter Days

When I first heard of the Wallflowers, way back when I lived in Hell A, I didn't like them at all. I thought "Oh yea, he's getting coverage because he's Son of Bob not because he's any good." Obviously, not one of my more insightful moments. A string of hits later and we have Red Letter Days. I've been listening to this a LOT and I'm fairly sure my co-workers are quite sick of it by now (though less so than they are sick of the Hives). The band excels at writing groove heavy brooding rockers, and RLD is full of them. Jakob sings about desire, breakups, and satisfaction and you really feel it.

The album opens with a song juxtaposing the desire for new experiences and the complacent comfort of success, and would make a great lead single. In what may pass for a love song, he sings "Now open your arms and pick up your head, and open your eyes so you can see what happens next / you won't believe just how good it can get, we'll make a lover out of you yet" on "How Good It Can Get", plaintively pleading for passion. "If you never got sick, I'd never get to hold you" leads into a change in tone. There is a strong undercurrent of failed relationships on the album, with "Everybody out of the water" hinting at what's to come. "I wish you health, I wish you happiness, and absolutely nothing else" is probably the most cold coda to a relationship I've ever heard. Overall, another brilliant album. Due Nov 5th.