Disco de The Wallflowers: “Breach [Bonus Disc]”

In a soulful and tragic sound, The Wallflowers release an album that is a triumph of introspective and self-aware understanding. The melody of this album matches up perfectly with the lyrics to express a truly personal event that we are all invited to come and take an active part in witnessing. To sum all of that up: Damn, Jakob Dylan can write a song.

Even though it was a four-year wait from their last work of excellence, the wait was worth it. This album is different, a little more in tune with inner feelings and expressing doubts and concerns, but still excellent. An excellent blend of up and down, fast and slow. It's an exceedingly extraordinary album that combines pop rock, folk rock, and the blues. I've already played it to death in the month that I've owned it. I think you will, too. Quality is worth returning to and repeating.

On one final note, this edition of The Wallflower's "(Breach)" comes with a special bonus CD, featuring a live recording of "Invisible City" and the first release from the new album, "Sleepwalker." You might as well go ahead and get this edition: similar price and a bonus CD.

Most bands falter under the pressure of following up a huge album. And all too often a stylistic shift dooms good artists. Yet here the Wallflowers defeat both those challenges with an incredible, beautiful album. They move away from the rockin sound of their wildly successful Bringing Down the Horse and deliver a more stripped-down acoustic based, folk inspired album. This works perfectly, and the results are moving. The soulful "Mourning Train", visual "Some Flowers Bloom Dead", and "Up From Under" all carry Jakob Dylan's genius lyrics and wordplay along with some of his best vocals yet. "Letters From the Wasteland" and the single "Sleepwalker" turn up the volume a little but but lose nothing in the power department. Breach didn't sell nearly as well as BDTH or the next album Red Letter Days, which further proves the mainstream public doesn't know good music (although the Wallflowers are one modern rock band fighting all the crap). This is a ten-song masterpiece that you will not just hear but FEEL. Anyone with parents will understand the despair of "Hand Me Down" and that's just the beginning. Don't buy the "flop" argument around this album, it's just too good for most people. Don't be one of them!!!

A few years ago, a friend loaned me "Bringing Down The Horse", the second Wallflowers album and told me he loved it. I'd heard the first album too, but when I listened to Horse, I initially thought it was just acceptable. But for some reason, I listened to it again and again. Soon, I was sold, totally.

When Breach hit the shelves, I picked it up, having read positive reviews. Initially, I thought it was just acceptable. But for some reason, I listened to it again and again. Soon, I was sold, totally.

I'm beginning to see a pattern here and it's one I've experienced with other bands in the past. I can listen to some music until the cows come home and it will never grow on me. Some stuff I like the first time I hear it. Then there's music like the Wallflowers, which typically has some, but limited appeal to me on initial listening. Then, over time, I find myself sinking into the groove and finding something in there that means something real to me. Based upon the opinions of about a dozen people I've introduced to this disc, my reactions are not at all abnormal.

I'm not really a huge fan of the Wallflowers, but there is plenty to be excited about this release. I like this even better than their last release. I have listened to this CD more than 15 times. Many songs became memorable after the second listening, and they did not become tiresome even after repeated listening. It reminds me of some great albums from Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty (where are they now and what are they doing?), but Wallflowers infused more late '90 early '00's alternative sensibility and musical arrangements into their music. Like the last album, it is filled with memorable and brilliant hooks and intriguing lyrics. It just slacked a little in the middle toward the end (or my attention span is getting shorter), but no songs made me want to hit the snooze button, and the last song (Birdcage) a hidden track (Babybird) bring it to a fulfilling closure. Check out Letters from the Wasteland, Hand Me Down, Sleepwalker, I've Been Delivered, and Birdcage.

I'd heard many comments and reviews that sid Breach was a highly personal collection of songs (long overdue). BEing highly critical of most reviews, I picked up the new CD (with a second, bonus disc, much to my surprise) with an excited but cautious attitude. Having listened to it, I find myself in the unusual position of actually agreeing with critics. 'Breach' is a highly introspective piece of rock/pop. Jakob Dylan overtly plumbs, for the first time, his life experiences to pen most of these songs. The straight ahead songs of Bringing Down the Horse are mostly absent from this set (though does anyone really know what 'One Headlight' was about), the first single 'Sleepwalker' not withstanding. The tone is low-key and relaxed, for the most part, though 'Murder 101' does pick up the pace towards the end, with its quick burst of energy. The most intircate song on the disc is probably 'Some Flowers Bloom Dead' and it's pervasive central metaphor. This song is destined to be a classic, though it may never be a hit. The current dominance of pop and rap-rock over the music industry will probably limit the commercial success of this album, but to true fans of rock and roll, this will solidify the place of the Wallflowers in the anals of rock, and only hints at the beauty of what's to come.