Breach
The Wallflowers
(Interscope Records)
Grade: A
The Wallflowers, with the recent release of their third album Breach, have ironically been anything but wallflowers - not standing by the sidelines, but actually creating some praiseworthy music.
It has been four years since the band released its last album, the largely successful Bringing Down the Horse, so it was about time these guys got together and released a new one.
Much to the relief of Wallflowers fans, Breach has managed to retain the sound which so distinctly belongs to the Wallflowers. Lead singer Jakob Dylan's voice is still as sexy as before. The band has maintained the great fairy-tale sound created by its light-hearted instrumentals, and the music is still, well, good - which is more that can be said for some bands that have already run the gamut of record releases.
Not much need be said in favor of the tracks on Breach because their excellence speaks for itself. The band's first single off the album, "Sleepwalker," is already becoming a popular radio tune, and several of the other tracks on the CD are sure to follow suit.
The album's only shortcoming might be its somewhat dark lyrics - with emphasis on the word "might." The lyrics come off as only slightly more bitter than any Backstreet Boys offering, but despite that, there is little that could take away from the excellence of this CD.
Besides, some people literally thrive on deep, depressing lyrics - nearly of whom are soon to be Breach fans.
The Wallflowers deserve some much-needed praise for their latest release. One can only hope the album's probable success will inspire the band to create more great albums in the future.
-Maggie Burnett
