Since the Afghan Whigs called it quits a decade ago, frontman Greg Dulli has been quietly releasing a stream of solid, occasionally fantastic albums with his current band, the Twilight Singers. Dulli's latest release is his first with the Singers since recording the Gutter Twins' debut with former Screaming Trees vocalist and frequent collaborator Mark Lanegan.
The moment I saw the cover art for Dynamite Steps, which echoes the grayscale, shadowy palette of 2003's Blackberry Belle (secretly Dulli's best album), my interest was piqued. Dulli has been making consistent music for 20 years, first with the Afghan Whigs' brand of cathartic 1990s alt-rock shot through with soul, now with the Twilight Singers' downtempo, back-alley blues. An enjoyable album from Dulli was a safe bet—I hoped for something more.
As can be expected, Dynamite Steps is not a reinvention or departure. It is Dulli-by-numbers, a master of his craft writing for his audience and sticking a little too close to his comfort zone. The highlights come early: propulsive, piano-driven opener "Last Night in Town" is one of the album's catchiest songs. Mark Lanegan contributes a somber vocal to "Be Invited," adding an effective dose of gravitas: it plays like a great, lost B-side from the Gutter Twins' slept-on Saturnalia. "Waves" is the album's most raucous moment, Dulli's strained vocals atop a bed of dissonant guitars and frantic drumming recalling "I'm Her Slave"-era Whigs. Dulli puts on a powerful live show, and songs like these are his bread and butter on stage—all palpable tension and release, rock and roll melodrama packed with sing-along choruses.
My favorite song, "On the Corner," shares its title with Miles Davis' 1972 jazz-funk masterstroke, likely not by coincidence—Dulli has referenced Davis before on the Whigs' "Miles Iz Ded" (and its remix "Rebirth of the Cool"), written immediately after his passing. "On the Corner" recalls its namesake's groove and pairs it with a couplet that stands out, halfway into an album overflowing with Dulli's trademark seedy lyrics: "All rise with me / all take your place." In between references to Gomorrah, desire, licked lips, spread legs, and dirty kisses, Dulli seems to hint at a desire for spiritual redemption. This theme, touched on at various points, is eventually put to rest on the album's closing track, "Dynamite Steps," which finds Dulli drawn back to earthly desires: "Some speak of a light / control of the game / but I leave the past alone... Push your faith aside... Your medicine is faith / and your flesh divine."
Ultimately, Dulli's work lives or dies by the strength of his songwriting, which is why Dynamite Steps doesn't rank with his best efforts. Consistency is an issue by the album's second half: the songs are mid-tempo, languid and not terribly engaging. Dulli sounds passionate at times, but I find my attention lost because the songs are monochromatic in pace and construction. A potential highlight turned sour, Ani DiFranco's vocal on "Blackbird and the Fox" is pleasant but unmemorable, and it's not for her lack of trying—"Blackbird" falters because it aches for, quite frankly, a hook of any sort. With key exceptions (see the Afghan Whigs' unbelievable "Faded"), slow-burning ballads are not Dulli's strength, so it's disappointing to hear Dynamite Steps resort to them after playing its best cards early.
Despite its flaws, Dynamite Steps is worth a listen with the caveat that, while strong in parts, it is not Greg Dulli's most consistent record with the Twilight Singers. I look forward to hearing its better songs fleshed out on stage as the Singers tour this year, but I may not revisit the album too frequently in the meantime.
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