Still offering the same kind of
soft rock
seen on
Interiors
but tempering it with a healthy dose of
country
,
Brad
steps into the next century with an album of breezy
pop/rock
. As on their last record, their songwriting hasn't quite caught up to their ambitions, but vocalist
Shawn Smith
is still a potent weapon. His thin croon gives tracks like
"Shinin'"
and
"Yes, You Are"
an emotional delicacy that would be lost on most other vocalists. By committing his beautiful voice to the songs here, he manages to really shape up a good portion of the album.
"Drop It Down"
is blatantly the worst song, a sloppy slab of
jam
rock
that suffers from gutless production and a lack of swing. Luckily, they don't indulge their "funky" side nearly as much on this album. Unfortunately, while at their best on slow
R&B
-influenced
ballads
, that is also the one element of their sound they seem most willing to sacrifice, only letting it come out on the beautiful
and the lilting
"Never Let Each Other Down."
Surprisingly, the riff-driven
"Revolution"
is another good change of direction for the band, showcasing guitarist
Stone Gossard
's awesome mastery of mood and
Smith
's
Prince
-like screams. The members of
sound like they are attempting to make their albums less uneven, and they do a decent job of it. But they can't quite harness the magic they can pull off on a track-by-track basis, making this another quality album that still leaves the listener hungry overall for some better songs. ~ Bradley Torreano