REVIEWS:
Soul Asylum are a Minneapolis alternative underground band (in the tradition of the Replacements) with an almost roots rock feel led by singer and guitarist Dave Pirner. They were already six albums deep into their career before hitting big with Grave Dancer's Union in 1992 and its' classic hit single "Runaway Train". They followed that one up with Let Your Dim Light Shine and Candy From A Stranger, which I haven't heard.
--Nick Karn
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
After an acclaimed underground career, Soul Asylum began swimming in the mainstream with this release, thanks mostly to the bleak, powerful and infectious acoustic hit single "Runaway Train" and its' profound video (which showed photos of lost children). The two opening tracks, the fast-paced punk rock style opener "Somebody To Shove" and "Black Gold", an acoustic folky tune with a powerful electric chorus, preceding it also made an impact on MTV and radio. Unfortunately, since those tracks are all concentrated at the beginning of the album (a Nevermind-like trend that pisses me off), the rest of the album is a bit hard on listenability and can't help but pale somewhat in comparison. "Keep It Up" and "Get On Out" could have been good hit singles, though, with the great 'na na na's in the chorus of the former and the uptempo aggressiveness of the later. The remaining track on the first half, "Homesick", is just a decent soft ballad, and the second half houses the prettier "New World" and the overly sappy closer "Sun Maid", the average roots rock tracks "Without A Trace" and "Growing Into You", and harder rockers "April Fool" and the distortion filled "99%"
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
Established as a popular alternative act with the success of their last album, Soul Asylum's follow up release Let Your Dim Light Shine has an even more commercial and darker sound than before. This turned off a number of longtime fans and critics, but there's less generic and uninspired material than before, and more of the catchy well crafted stuff. The opening "Misery" may be an obvious Generation X track, but it's hard to deny that chorus despite the song being drenched in depression. "Shut Down" has a powerful hard-hitting hook and is one of the major highlights, and "Hopes Up" is a fine rocker. "String Of Pearls" is a weird and hysterical, almost stream of consciousness, story-song that closes the side and is probably the best single song - you gotta hear it to believe it, while "Just Like Anyone" is a short number that has a very sweet ear-catching hook.
Other notable tracks include the acoustic minor hit single "Promises Broken", which is relaxing, and "Bittersweetheart" also has a very nice chorus. "I Did My Best" closes the album on a high and hopeful note after a number of downcast songs, and "To My Own Devices" is a pleasant folk tune. None of the other songs here are anything 'to write home about', as the title of track 13, "Nothing To Write Home About" (one of the more mediocre cuts) would suggest, especially the awful "Caged Rat", but Let Your Dim Light Shine has no shortage of great hooks within its' 14 songs. A recommended outing.
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COMMENTS
[email protected] (Andrew McQuillan)
Uh, 'Just Like Heaven' is a Cure song. The song you mean is actually 'Just Like Anyone'. Anyways, this is a really great, really straightforward album which relies on easy to remember songs, which is what albums should mostly be about. Songs.
[Author's note: Sorry about that - I'm well aware of course that "Just Like Heaven" is a Cure song (it's my favorite of theirs, in fact). Maybe I love that one a little too much, since I didn't even notice I got it mixed up with "Just Like Anyone". ;)]