Soul Asylum’s breakthrough, million-selling Grave Dancer’s Union yielded the mega-hit “Runaway Train” and put the band in a whole new league; longtime fans were predictably disappointed with the slick results. This is a solid alternative rock record with singer/songwriter/vocalist Dave Pirner upfront, a role he was built for but always seemed to resist until this clear do-or-die moment for the band. Soul Asylum did; however, they never matched the success or consistency of this album. Tracks like “Home Sick” and “New World” bear the roots of the country-rock revival later forged by Son Volt and Wilco, while the angst-ridden “Somebody to Shove” is pure joy Soul Asylum-style. – Denise Sullivan