The first time I listened to The Wallflowers, I was nine years old. The significance of this is that for the first time music really affected me.
Now, this is a ridiculous assertion because the song in question is “One Headlight,” which is about loss and resolutions, and at nine years old, the only loss I’d experienced was when my cat, Wendy, was hit by a car and when my iguana, Iggy, died of some mysterious lizard disease. (Though that was really for the best, because kids shouldn’t own giant reptiles.)
But still, the song moved me on a deeper, underdeveloped psychological level. Although I was too young to relate to the music’s themes, I still stole the CD from my parents and listened to it whenever an opportunity presented itself.
Fast-forward 15 years to The Wallflowers’ latest album, “Glad All Over” (available since Tuesday), which is the band’s first studio release in seven years. For the sole purpose of this review, I made it a point to develop emotionally.
From 9 to 24 years old, here is a list of emotional milestones I’ve experienced to justify my qualifications:
-Crashed a car
-Started a band
-Had a dream smashed (wasn’t a good band)
-Fell in love
-Lost my virginity
-Had my heart smashed (wasn’t a good boyfriend)
-Moved away
-Bartended for sad old men
-Attended a wedding
-Attended a funeral
-Didn’t own another iguana
“Glad All Over” opens with a catchy, boogie-woogie riff on the electric organ, giving way to the muddy guitar that compliments Jakob Dylan’s gruffy, sentimental voice.
The song, “Hospital For Sinners,” makes you want to weave your car in between traffic as you roar past the exit for work and merge onto the highway to an unknown destination.
For me, the mark of a good album is one to which you can drive to the extent that you lose track of where you were going. “Glad All Over” is out just in time for the cooler weather, as the album reflects a “windows down, nostalgia” kind of quality. I’ve planned my first continental road trip for January, and I already know what I’ll be listening to.
If CDs are too passé for you, or you don’t have the space or the time for an entire album, swing over to iTunes and grab, “Hospital For Sinners,” “Misfits and Lovers,” “Reboot The Mission,” “Love is a Country,” “Constellation Blues” and “One Set of Wings.”
My next advice is to find a moving window to stare out of, think about something you’ve lost recently and hit play. The music will do the rest.
The Wallflowers’ “Glad All Over” is the band’s first studio release in seven years. The album was released Tuesday.
