Paul Westerberg: Suicaine Gratifaction

Paul Westerberg's solo career has found him in something of an impossible situation: If he were to make music that sounds too much like The Replacements, people would accuse him of repeating himself. On the other hand, everyone pretty much expects Westerberg to make music that sounds like The Replacements, and if he showed signs of mellowing into middle age, the wolves would show up at the door anyway. After two solo records that attempted to find a healthy compromise between the two extremes, Westerberg has returned with the cryptically titled Suicaine Gratifaction, an album of heartfelt material that seems to ignore the expectations of both camps. That's not to say you'll mistake it for anything but a Paul Westerberg album. "Looking Out Forever" and "Final Hurrah" both rock, in a mid-tempo kind of way, like Replacements tunes, and the album-opening "It's A Wonderful Lie" has the sort of title that only Westerberg could turn into a decent song. It's this song, with its demo-like qualities and ability to convey smoky back-porch intimacy, that also best indicates what the album is about. Sparsely co-produced by Westerberg and Don Was, much of the record finds Westerberg stripped down, sometimes because of its frequently raw sound and always because of its tone. It's the sound of the singer-songwriter succeeding on his own terms, and reason for anyone who's stopped paying attention to start all over again.