release date: May 18, 1999
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,06]
producer: Armand John Petri
label: Bar/None Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 2. "Ellen" - 3. "Once a City" - 6. "Somebody's Heaven" - 7. "Cabaret" - 12. "Hidden in My Heart"
7th studio album by 10,000 Maniacs actually contains nine outtakes from the album Love Among the Ruins (Jun. 1997), which only makes room for five new compositions.
Stylistically, it's the same ballgame as the predecessor, which means folk pop and soft rock founded on traditional folk that doesn't come close to the band's most successful releases but also reflecting a diverse sound. It's the final album to feature Robert Buck on guitar, as he passed away in Dec. 2000, and then it's the final studio album by 10,000 Maniacs for the following 14 years.
Although, the majority of the tracks weren't found suited for the previous album, I find it on much the same level as the predecessor - again without being really good. Too many tracks sound like attempts to reproduce some of their hit material from the '80s resulting in little originality. All in all, it's above mediocre and a bit of a tepid experience compared to the heydays of the Merchant era, imho.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Rolling Stone Album Guide 1,5 / 5 stars ]
