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For me, it's also accessible, which is something daddy wasn't and I grew up in that era. I'm not willing to make the obvious comparison, other than to say daddy taught him well. Would I recommend this cd. This is a great cd start to finish. The music is fresh, current and relevant. Without a doubt. Fact is, I already have and whether this is Jakob's new direction or a departure from the norm, Jakob has hit his stride.
Even as their fan base gradually disappeared, each successive album was greeted with critical praise and enthusiasm, as if to justify their existence in a world that must have forgotten the truly excellent craftsmanship of Dylan. Interestingly enough, the songs feel natural, they actually work, and they resonate with the listener. Regardless, the Wallflowers assembled a signature body of work including the 90s classic Bringing Down The Horse (1996) and their introspective masterpiece (Breach) (2000). While they helped to bridge the gap between roots rock revival, neo folk rock, and alt-country, they usually played second fiddle to the Counting Crows, which is arguably a bss aackward situation. It's really not a question of whether or not the world should care about the Wallflowers, it's more a question of does the world care, which, of course, it doesn't, or at least not enough. Maybe that's the reason for the change: people will listen to Starbucks music, but this album deserves it anyway. Gone are the driving layers of Tom Pettyisms that propelled Wallflowers songs; instead, the songs are laid bare to sparse acoustics, similar to the past only in their lyrical tapestries. From the deep organic murmur of the opening "Evil Is Alive And Well," it's clear that everything has been stripped away on Seeing Things.
Lyrically, the album is a logical progression from the political rush of the last Wallflowers offering, 2005's Rebel, Sweetheart, particularly in the exceptional "Will It Grow" and "War Is Kind." But while Rebel depicted the state of Americana as a bewildering cemetery of lost dreams and no direction, Seeing Things finds hope in the little things of everyday life and suggests "Something Good This Way Comes." By the time the curtains fade on "This End Of The Telescope," it's clear to the listener that Dylan is still very much a voice of relevance, with or without his band. He was always the solitary songwriter in the Wallflowers, so why the difference, and will it really be different. Jakob Dylan's primary vehicle has long been one of the most consistent yet underrated acts to emerge from the 90s alternative movement. It's an album that can stand up to anything by the Wallflowers, yet it can exist as its own entity just as well, which is quite a feat. So why now, twelve years after the Wallflowers' heyday and three quiet years after the bands last album, has Jakob Dylan decided to go solo. All in all, it's obvious that something had to change, and the difference is remarkably lucid, even though it's the work of the same pen. The funny thing about all of this, however, is that Seeing Things seems to be getting much more airplay that anything the Wallflowers have produced in a decade, primarily through the Starbucks radio (but hell, whatever works). In the end, Dylan has given his craft a new appearance, and it seems to be working, which now begs the question, what's next, and what's next for the Wallflowers.
"Seeing Things," his first solo work, highlights both of these conundrums. Even John Mellencamp, on his "Life Death Love and Freedom" album, snuck the poppish "Oh My Sweet Love" into the mix to break things up. I have always thought Jakob Dylan to be an underrated talent. The initial single, "Something Good This Way Comes," mirrors the catchiest songs that The Wallflowers could churn out at their most radio conscious. If you're reading this. Like his father, Jakob can sure turn some terrific metaphoric phrases. Producer Rick Rubin brings his usual Zen Mastery for this kind of material (think of his work with Neil Diamond and The Dixie Chicks), leaving Jakob framed with minimal arrangements and clarity.However, like his father, Jakob could use some variety.
"Seeing Things" shows that Jakob has matured as an artist while a lot of us weren't watching. Granted, had he not had that bloodline to call upon, it's likely he'd be known at all, but the shadow of the father still looms uneccessarily long across Jakob (and by extension, The Wallflowers) work. I kept hoping for something to pick up the pace and the mood, also like Mellencamp's album, seeing things has a pretty dour outlook. Both "Will It Grow" and "Valley of The Low Sun" are both terrific songs, and "War is Kind" could have been stolen from his Dad's notebook when Bob wasn't looking. (And makes me kind of wish Jakob had saved it for a full band workout). But without the one song to really attract attention, "Seeing Things" may also wind up as a thing unheard. You've come this far, so you must know that it's a worthy purchase.
There's a lot I love about this album, but what I love most is how it gets better the more it is listened to. I keep hearing new things and I'm still trying to figure out some of the things I hear over and over again. It's mellow enough to chill to, but interesting enough to drive with. I've been waiting for an album like this for a while.
We have been enjoying this CD. Dylan does a great job & you can listen to it anytime of the day. It's not one of the "you have to be in the mood to listen" to it CDs.
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