Hurry Up & Wait (to be released on 17th April 2020 via Blue Elan records) is the twelfth album from US alt-rock band Soul Asylum and comes after a four-year gap following the release of their previous album Change Of Fortune in 2016. The band are best known for their Grammy Award-winning single ‘Runaway Train’ and its parent album, Grave Dancers Union from 1994. While the band may have commercially peaked during the grunge-era, their latest release proves that the band isn’t afraid to try and adapt their style to other forms of rock music.
The band, driven by sole original member Dave Pirner (rhythm guitar and vocals), have turned in a 13-track album filled with some solid rock songs. Album opener - the suitably named ‘The Beginning’ – boasts an uplifting chorus and some tight drumming from Michael Bland. The second track, ‘If I Told You,’ is the ‘focus single’ from the album and is an emotionally honest ballad which mines the similar emotional rock vein of ‘Runaway Train.’ The album really comes to life with its third song (and third single) ‘Got It Pretty Good’ which recalls a more ‘classic 1980's rock’ sound with its backing vocals and chugging guitar work. It’s the kind of song which fans of the band will latch on to and sounds like it could well become a live performance favourite.
‘Make Her Laugh’ follows the opening trio of songs and, perhaps more than ‘If I Told You’ recalls ‘Runaway Train’ with its jangling, Byrds-esque acoustic guitar before Priner’s vocals in the chorus combine with an electric guitar riff. ‘Busy Signals’ proves to be a more curious track – the vocal effect on the backing vocals during the chorus comes straight out of a nu-metal track from the early 2000’s while the verses and chorus build up sounds like it has time travelled straight from 1989. Bland’s drumming, once again, is on fine display on this song which is a nice bit of aural fun. Current single release ‘Social Butterfly’ is another soulful ballad which has some nice guitar work from Pirner and Ryan Smith on lead guitar.
‘Dead Letter’ is perhaps the best song on the album and certainly the most unusual of the thirteen songs. Chosen as the first single release, the song’s vocal and guitar melody is hugely reminiscent of the old British folk song ‘Scarborough Fair’ (best known in its most famous recording by Simon And Garfunkel). While the lyrics are melancholic and quite at odds at the lyrical content elsewhere on the album (such as the optimism of ‘The Beginning’), the tone is well matched by the musical content and the song leaves an impression long after the final chord has been played. The mood is swiftly uplifted by the next song, ‘Landmines.’ This track injects a feeling of ‘roll’ into the ‘rock’ of the band and has some great bass lines from bassist Winston Roye. ‘Here We Go’ is another soft rock ballad which serves as a palate cleanser before the more ‘hard rock’ orientated sound of ‘Freezer Burn’ which recalls Soul Asylum’s commercial peak. This could very well end up being a future single to promote the album after it is released.
‘Silent Treatment’ brings the tempo and mood of the album back down. It boasts a catchy soft rock chorus and will be another song which long-time fans of the band will connect with. ‘Hopped Up Feelin’’ is a fun blast of heavy guitar riffs from both Smith and Priner and is a very ‘out there’ almost trippy song for the band. Album closer, ‘Silly Things,’ returns the band back to what they are famous for – chiming acoustic guitars and soulful lyrics. It is a fine end to a strong album, although one can’t help but wonder whether ‘Dead Letter’ would have proven to be a more effective album closer (although it would end the album on a more sombre tone – while ‘Silly Things’ has an air of sadness and regret about it, the lyrics do have an optimistic tinge to them as Priner vows to come to terms with the ‘silly things’ he has done over the years).
While Hurry Up & Wait isn’t going to cause a seismic shift in the world of rock music, it is still an enjoyable ride featuring some great songs (Got It Pretty Good, Dead Letter, and Freezer Burn) and, in several of the songs, some much-needed optimism in these increasingly fraught times we find ourselves in. The production from the band and frequent production collaborator John Fields is crisp and clear and credit must go to Emily Lazar’s skilful mastering of the album which allows the production to shine through. The album is a worthy addition to the band’s discography and shows Soul Asylum to be in rude creative health, nearly four decades from their initial beginnings.
Reviewer - Andrew Marsden
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