Album Review: Delayed Reaction by Soul Asylum

Soul Asylum may have been the little Minneapolis band that could, the snotty underdogs who ended up topping the charts while their hipper peers did not, but in true underdog fashion, success didn't seem to suit them. Sure, 1992's Grave Dancer's Union was a massive hit, but the follow-up, 1995's Let Your Dim Light Shine, was perceived as a flop even though it went platinum as the band's snarky energy began to fade, and both 1998's Candy from a Stranger and the 2006 "comeback" The Silver Lining barely made a ripple among anyone but their most committed fans, both sounding half-hearted as Dave Pirner's songwriting turned unexpectedly silly. In 2012, Soul Asylum are pretty much off everyone's radar and they're back to recording for a small indie label, so it makes a certain sense that Delayed Reaction is their best album in ages.

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After 30 years, alterna-grunge godfathers Soul Asylum have settled into their role as elder statesmen. The lag time between records, once virtually nonexistent, is now a healthy five or six years. There’s no more punching the clock for the Minneapolis band, who these days work their own hours, on their own schedule. And yet, listening to Delayed Reaction, the band’s first proper release since 2006’s The Silver Lining, you’d never get the impression that they’re cozily slipping into semi-retirement.

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