[.ca] Glitter in the Gutter

From Amazon.com:
Glitter in the Gutter, the third solo album from Jesse Malin, finds the artist settling in to a comfortable groove, further cultivating the power-pop-with-a-touch-of-twang bittersweetness that was a staple of his solo debut The Fine Art of Self-Destruction. Straddling the line between country balladry and guitar rock, Malin gets support from guests Ryan Adams, Jakob Dylan, and Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme. There's plenty to like in uptempo rockers like "Prisoners of Paradise," and whether or not "Lucinda" was written for alt-country star Lucinda Williams, it wouldn't sound out of place on one of Williams' early records. "Broken Radio" stands out as a Springsteen-like paean to lost youth and rock and roll (the Boss even contributes a duet vocal), and a mournful, piano bar reading of the Replacements' "Bastards of Young" shines a light on the broken-heartedness hiding under the pissed-off teenage posture of the original. Ultimately, there's nothing especially cutting-edge about Malin's ruminations on wrecked romances and world-weary voice, but he has delivered a consistently tuneful and satisfying album. --Ben Heege

Jesse Malin: Underrated and in his prime:
Judging by the fact that there are no prior reviews of 'Glitter in the Gutter', and the fact that this album is at about #19,000 on amazon.ca, not too many people care about Jesse Malin, New York's country-punk rocker and Ryan Adams' right-hand man. I think he's one of the most underrated artists and it's too bad he is continuously overshadowed and overlooked, because 'Glitter' is a fantastic edition to anyone's record collection and worthy of a listen. The album contains a consistent collection of punky folk songs with catchy melodies and clever lyrics (my personal favorite is "gimme a kiss, with your apocalypse, at the end of the world" in the up-tempo 'Black Haired Girl'). Malin is good on his own (judging by his previous gem 'The Fine Art of Self-Destruction') but this time around, he's brought a few celeb-status friends with him; Jakob Dylan, Josh Homme and Ryan Adams all lend their talents to this unique album, and one of the best tracks on 'Glitter', 'Broken Radio', is a duet with The Boss himself. Malin has an interesting and instantly recognizeable voice that is emotive and captivating, and his anarchistic lyrics and clever writing are likeable, adventurous and charming. Malin's a true-blooded New Yorker and 'Glitter' reflects that in both lyric and sensability. Each track on the album is memorable and unique, but among the best are the first single, 'Don't Let Them Take You Down (Beautiful Day)', the racuous Modern World', and the perfect album closer, the pretty down-home-meets-urban 'Aftermath' (in which Malin likeably, cutely laughs whilst singing the line "remember when we used to laugh?"). Mature yet immature, subdued yet loud, angry yet passive, vulnerable yet agressive, 'Glitter in the Gutter' is an album for people who really like a blend of poetry and melody. Here's hoping that Malin finds an audience as large and devoted as his pal Ryan Adams, and that his future releases don't get lost in a sea of releases.

• Don't Let Them Take You Down (Beautiful Day)
• In The Modern World
• Tomorrow Night
• Broken Radio
• Prisoners Of Paradise
• Black Haired Girl
• Lucinda
• Love Streams
• Little Star
• Bastards Of Young
• Happy Ever After (Since You're In Love 2007)
• NY Nights
• Aftermath