With their third album, Songs from the Rain, Hothouse Flowers stepped away from their more anthemic tendencies, creating their quietest record yet. Although their devotion to Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, and U2 is still apparent, their influences are beginning to blend together. While Songs From the Rain is the band’s most musically diverse collection, it is hampered by an inconsistent set of material. Nevertheless, when the band does have a good song, such as “Be Good,” they deliver it more convincingly than they ever before. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine