Red Letter Days [2LP Vinyl]

On the surface, RED LETTER DAYS bears some sonic similarities to the previous couple of Wallflowers albums (rich, Byrdsy guitar tones, Tom Petty-ish roots-rock production, and of course Jakob Dylan's husky, engaging vocals). Closer listening, however, reveals a number of advances. For one thing, Dylan's lyrics are sharper than ever, especially on the darkly poetic verses of "When You're on Top," which nicely counterbalance an almost too-catchy chorus that smacks of chart envy. Similarly, "Three Ways" and "If You Never Got Sick" achieve a moody poignancy that's simultaneously visceral and evocative (no mean feat). There are new sonic developments as well; Rami Jaffee's keyboard arsenal sounds somewhat expanded beyond his trademark B-3 organ, and is utilized accordingly, to give many of the songs a more modern edge than the band has evinced in the past. One small step for man...well, you know the rest.