Jakob Dylan Puts Me to Sleep

April 16, 2010, 12:15 a.m.

You would think the son of one of the best singer-songwriters of the last five decades would have enough natural talent and musical guidance to create an album that, at the very least, is worth listening to. He proved there was some potential for success as the lead singer of the popular 90’s rock band The Wallflowers, but with the release of his sophomore solo album, “Women + Country” (released April 6), Jakob Dylan, son of legendary Bob Dylan, disappointingly delivers a slew of sub-par, often boring songs. I feel it’s unfair to compare him to his father; however, the sad truth is, they are incomparable–Jakob Dylan doesn’t even hold a candle.

Jakob Dylan Puts Me to SleepDylan’s first solo album, “Seeing Things,” was released in 2008 and was met with mild success and mixed reviews. In listening to this first album, I loved Dylan’s style and sound, but generally disliked the CD because the songs were trivial and ordinary. On his second album, Dylan unfortunately encounters the same problem. It is very irritating because I really want to like his music; he has an acoustic style with a folk blues vibe, and that is generally my favorite genre. He is a great singer with a very distinct and deep voice that is both soothing and mature. However, his likable sound is ultimately unable to save the lackluster songs that comprise the album.

The content of most of the songs is unimportant and borderline cliche, which, combined with the mellow sound, produces boring tracks. It felt as though he was trying to be profound, but missed the mark–the songs lack emotion and depth and are not very interesting. Another problem is that they tend to blend together, which in some respects is appreciated because his album has a comprehensible sound, but in this case, works against him. With this laid-back kind of music, the songs are not very loud or excited, and so, to compensate, they should speak to listeners. They should tell a story, and the content should feel personal, whether it is or not. The songs don’t necessarily have to be sad or intense, but they should have a message.

Although I was dissatisfied overall with the songwriting, there are two songs that I do enjoy. The fifth track on the album, “Everybody’s Hurting,” does well to blend the two components I feel are lacking in the other songs–a folk blues vibe and a meaningful, yet mild, message. Whereas other songs, like “Nothing But the Whole Wide World” or “Lend a Hand,” detail overstated and trifling ideas, “Everybody’s Hurting” has the right combination. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s catchy. Similarly, the eighth track, “Truth for a Truth,” is one of the songs worth giving a listen.

Regrettably, I predict that this album will make very little impact; it just doesn’t stand out enough. The songs sound nice, and are fine to listen to in the background as you focus on something else, but do not effectively work as engaging hits–neither musically nor in the lyrics. He has a great vibe, but has yet to translate it into anything other than dull. I think the main culprit for this problem is that Dylan has yet to truly define himself as an artist. He seems to span multiple genres, and his content is vague and impersonal. Once he puts more of himself into his music, maybe then I’ll want to listen to his work. Perhaps I was expecting, even hoping, for something more because of his legendary lineage, but Bob Dylan’s son or not, I’m disappointed.

Login or create an account

Apply to The Daily’s High School Summer Program

Priority deadline is april 14

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds