Review Summary: An album that is free, whimsical, and bursting with creativity; by the end Los Angeles quintet comes across as a fun group of guys you’d enjoy hanging out with in real life.
Jakob Dylan has fought long and hard to escape from his father’s shadow, though that may surprise anyone who’s heard his band’s self-titled debut album “The Wallflowers”. A familiar hint of lyrical genius takes center stage in this nearly 70 minute work, and songs like “Be Your Own Girl” bear more than a little resemblance to “Blond on Blonde” era Bob. Comparatively, Jakob’s voice has less range but is deeper, stronger, and more course. “Honeybee” showcases his vocal talents to wonderful effect; it’s an amazing piece, eloquently performed, and one of three to clock in at over seven minutes. The songs on “The Wallflowers” are free, whimsical, and bursting with creativity; by the end Los Angeles quintet comes across as a fun group of guys you’d enjoy hanging out with in real life.
Unfortunately, this quintet did not last for long. Virgin Records grew frustrated at Dylan’s refusal to advertise his heritage or even accept interviews that he felt were motivated by his status as Bob Dylan’s youngest son, and, not surprisingly, album sales never really took off (even today it’s rather hard to find). When
the Wallflowers moved to Interscope, only Dylan and Rami Jaffee, on keyboard and organ, remained.
Jaffee has much more of a noticeable presence on “The Wallflowers” than on any of their later albums, particularly in the opening “Shy of the Moon”. “Shy of the Moon” is a perfect introduction, and also the most accessible song on the album, having the shortest running time and a catchy rhythm. It’s a cute piece describing a “Pretty little girl on the side of the road, yellow hair in a yellow bow”.
“Sugarfoot” and “Ashes to Ashes” are the first signs of the classical rock style that drove the records
the Wallflowers would later produce with Interscope. The guitar riffs carry a loud sound that is raw and unpolished, much unlike the intricate rhythms of their later works. “Sugarfoot” would have still fit in great on “Bringing Down the Horse”, and it’s a rare moment where the instrumental lines fully match the lyrical ambition, as Dylan rages out against the titular character, crying that “His chain gang is tryin' to pull me down”.
The piercing strength of midtempo pieces “Hollywood” and “After the Blackbird Sings” exemplify this group at its finest. In the former a keyboard-driven rhythm develops slowly into magnificent but still slightly withheld melodic bursts as Dylan pronounces “Oh my God, they've sold Hollywood, burned down my neighborhood, even shot Robin Hood/Oh my God, I guess it was never understood, to understand brotherhood, right from wrong, and the bad from the good.” Dylan may be complaining about moral disintegration, but he does so in a way that’s smart and amusing. More funny is the opening “You talk so loud, you talk so much and you talk so funny/But honey, what are you talkin' about?” It’s witty and easy to miss, much in the style of old folk music that’s all too difficult to find today. “After the Blackbird Sings”, the only piece written by the entire group (as opposed to Dylan alone), is just as impressive, boasting a tremendous vocal performance. An equally brilliant version is available on an iTunes Original titled “The Wallflowers”, which I strongly recommend looking into.
It’s not a perfect album, though, as many songs like “Somebody’s Else’s Money” drag on for much longer than they deserve to. “Another One in the Dark”, though saved a bit by an unusual vocal entrance in the final act, is the same way. Still, it’s a testament to the strength of the album that it’s few failings occur only when the young group’s aspirations outmatch their abilities.
Jakob Dylan’s refusal to milk his last name for all it was worth turned out not to hold back the group. “Somebody Else’s Money” plays like a testament to this stance as his wispy voice reads “And we can buy that diamond ring/and just about any other thing/with somebody else's money.” He didn’t, and “One Headlight” hit #1 on US Modern Rock and “Bringing Down the Horse” went 4x Platinum on
the Wallflowers' own merits. That must have felt good.
