The Wallflowers RED LETTER DAYS

This is a Hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.
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.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Rock and Pop