Well here we are, it’s 2020 and there’s a new Soul Asylum record. Now granted the band have moved to yet another record label and are down to frontman/guitarist/songwriter Dave Pirner and a cadre of sidemen; even though the drummer has been in the band for well over a decade, it’s still strange. It’s cool that they’re still around and touring—at least when this epidemic is over—but you have to ask yourself, “Is there really anyone who was demanding this?”
Anyways, it’s here and I decided to give it a whirl. Opening track “The Beginning” is modest AOR rock without a whole lot of angst or heaviness behind it and a trumpet solo for some inexplicable reason. “Got It Pretty Good” has a bit of heaviness and crunch and a sing-along quality to it, but this isn’t the Soul Asylum of old anymore, it’s just Pirner still trying his best because not many are interested in a solo album from him.
“If I Told You” is one of the better tracks here and shows that there’s still a bit of life left in the band. But for the most part the record is bland, middle of the road, wannabe mid-tempo rock and roll that doesn’t go anywhere and makes you long for the glory days of alternative rock. “Landmines” attempts to get a little bit harder with a bit of a shuffle, but the lyrics suck and Pirner’s delivery hasn’t gotten much better over the years. “Freezer Burn” and “Hopped Up Feelin’” turn the volume up ever so slightly and both tracks give the album a much-needed shot in the arm and are the more exciting tracks here.
But let’s face it, this is one of the least hyped records of the year and once clubs can open up again, I’m sure Soul Asylum will be back out there, touring the hits and playing a few new tracks. We can be grateful that they’re still around and still playing those good tracks, but maybe next time, an EP would suffice.