In the summer of 1995, Soul Asylum’s single “Misery” was everywhere. You couldn’t escape it, and honestly, I wasn’t complaining. That hook? Catchy as all get out.
So, my girl (who shall remain nameless here) took me to Boscov’s to pick up the tape — yes, the tape — of their new album, Let Your Dim Light Shine. And let me tell you, this record was (and still is) leagues above their breakthrough, Grave Dancers Union.
Funny enough, a few years later, I ended up covering “Somebody to Shove” with my band (shout out to RDB!). But Let Your Dim Light Shine? That album stuck with me.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane.
“Misery” is, of course, an all-time great. But the momentum doesn’t stop there. Tracks like “Shut Down” and “To My Own Devices” keep the train running smooth and heavy, loaded with emotional coal and melodic grit.
Then there’s “Hopes Up” and “Bittersweetheart,” both of which gave me an extra pep in my step on the walk to my job at Boscov’s (R.I.P. to that beautiful retail dinosaur). And yes, I was rockin’ a Walkman. Miss those days? Best believe I do.
Flip the tape and you’ve got “String of Pearls,” which still hits in that “What the hell is happening here?” kind of way. “Crawl” brings the same energy, two weird and wonderful sides of the same coin.
And then comes “Just Like Anyone,” a track I used to sneak into the Young Men’s department stereo at Boscov’s. I kept the volume low, but man, that song still kicks ass all these years later.
At the end of the day, this album takes me back to a special time. I was 22, with not a care in the world, a smokin’-hot girlfriend, and no idea where life was going, but I was happy to be along for the ride.
Thanks for taking this journey down memory lane with me. I’ve got plenty more stories to tell, so stick around — there’s more where this came from.
– THE MAESTRO
