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Breach (The Wallflowers album)

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(Breach)
Studio album by
the Wallflowers
ReleasedOctober 10, 2000
Studio
Genre
Length42:53
LabelInterscope
Producer
The Wallflowers chronology
Bringing Down the Horse
(1996) 		(Breach)
(2000) 		Red Letter Days
(2002)
Singles from Breach
  1. "Sleepwalker"
    Released: September 11, 2000[1]
  2. "Letters from the Wasteland"
    Released: 2001

Breach (stylized as (Breach)) is the third studio album by the Wallflowers. The album's first single was "Sleepwalker", the video of which poked fun at lead-singer Jakob Dylan's "rock star" status following the success of Bringing Down the Horse. Guests on the album included Elvis Costello, who performed vocals on "Murder 101". Despite good reviews, the album failed to follow the commercial success of Bringing Down the Horse and was seen as somewhat of a commercial failure. "Breach" peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold.

History and Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic71/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Billboard[4]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[4]
Q[4]
Revolver[4]
Rolling Stone[5]
Spin4/10[6]
The Village VoiceB−[7]

Despite weak album sales, "Breach" managed to receive strong reviews from critics. AllMusic said of the album: "On the surface, there's not much different between this album and its predecessor, but the songs are stronger, sharper, and the performances are lean, muscular, and immediate."[3] Rolling Stone was also receptive of the album, stating: "The slow stuff might be a bit ponderous, but the first six or seven songs manage a rare trick: They're incandescent enough to jump out at you on the radio, yet are steeped in a type of introspective inquiry that was once integral to rock & roll, and has nearly vanished."[5]

A Spin magazine article looking back on Jakob Dylan's 30-year career, noted that "Breach" alludes to his mixed feelings about his lineage and fame more than any other album in his discography.[8] Spin commented that "Dylan addresses the cynics on lead single “Sleepwalker,” a catchy rocker that reflects how Dylan felt at the height of his fame: like a dazed character drifting through his own life." They similarly point to "Hand me Down" where "Dylan sings self-effacingly about the perception of having failed to live up to his pedigree." As part of an interview for the piece, Dylan told Spin that "I like that record a lot. It’s more complicated than Bringing Down The Horse, and I think I started getting better as a songwriter.”

In another retrospective interview with Uproxx, Dylan said that while this was a "difficult record to make," he feels it features some of his best songwriting. He told music critic Steven Hyden that "By Breach, I knew there was going to be scrutiny on some of the songs and I decided that I was just going to not care about it."[9]

Track listing

All songs written by Jakob Dylan.

  1. "Letters from the Wasteland" – 4:29
  2. "Hand Me Down" – 3:35
  3. "Sleepwalker" – 3:31
  4. "I've Been Delivered" – 5:01
  5. "Witness" – 3:34
  6. "Some Flowers Bloom Dead" – 4:44
  7. "Mourning Train" – 4:04
  8. "Up from Under" – 3:39
  9. "Murder 101" – 2:32
  10. "Birdcage" – 3:28 (total 7:42 with "Babybird")
  11. "Babybird" (hidden track) – 3:40

Bonus CD

Some editions include a two-track bonus CD.[10]

  1. "Invisible City" (live) – 6:29
    • On alternative releases, bonus track one is an acoustic version of Sleepwalker – 3:17[11]
  2. "Sleepwalker" (Andy Wallace remix) – 3:25

Personnel

The Wallflowers

Additional Personnel

Charts

Chart (2000) Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[12] 9
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] 88
Italian Albums (FIMI)[14] 48
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[15] 50
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 35
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 48
UK Albums (OCC)[18] 161
US Billboard 200[19] 13

References

  1. ^ "Hot AC: Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1367. September 8, 2000. p. 92.
  2. ^ "Breach by The Wallflowers". Metacritic. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Breach – The Wallflowers | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d "Breach by The Wallflowers". Metacritic. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "The Wallflowers: Breach : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. October 3, 2000. Archived from the original on May 12, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  6. ^ Berrett, Jesse (November 2000). "The Wallflowers: Breach". Spin. pp. 205–206. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  7. ^ Christgau, Robert (November 28, 2000). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  8. ^ Chelin, Pam (July 13, 2021). "Jakob Dylan, Locked and Loaded". Spin magazine.
  9. ^ Hyden, Steve (June 30, 2021). "Jakob Dylan Reviews Every Album By The Wallflowers". Uproxx.
  10. ^ Discog – Breach limited edition 2-CD, 2000-10–10th Interscope Records (0694908092) US
  11. ^ Discog – Breach limited edition 2-CD, 2000-Oct Interscope Records (0694908112) US
  12. ^ "The Wallflowers Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  13. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Wallflowers – Breach" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  14. ^ "Italiancharts.com – The Wallflowers – Breach". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  15. ^ "Charts.nz – The Wallflowers – Breach". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  16. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Wallflowers – Breach". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  17. ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Wallflowers – Breach". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  18. ^ "Chart Log UK: Kristine W – Tammy Wynette". zobbel.de. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  19. ^ "The Wallflowers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
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