Exit Wounds (The Wallflowers album)

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Exit Wounds
Exit Wounds front cover art
Studio album by
the Wallflowers
ReleasedJuly 9, 2021 (2021-07-09)
StudioRubyRed Productions (Santa Monica, California)
Genre
Length40:01
LabelNew West Records
ProducerButch Walker
The Wallflowers chronology
Glad All Over
(2012) 		Exit Wounds
(2021)
Singles from Exit Wounds
  1. "Roots and Wings"
    Released: April 9, 2021

Exit Wounds is the seventh studio album by the Wallflowers, their first in nine years since the release of Glad All Over (2012). The album debuted No. 183 on the US Billboard 200.[1] On Billboard's Top Album Sales chart it debuted at No. 3, making it the band's highest-charting album yet.[2] It was released by New West Records on July 9, 2021. Singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne's backing vocals are featured on four tracks.[3] "Roots and Wings" was released as the first single on April 9, 2021.[4]

Background[edit]

Although the album was written and finished before the COVID-19 pandemic, Jakob Dylan said he said he did not want to put it out during a time of such uncertainty and suffering.[5] In speaking to Uproxx about the origins of the album he said "these songs are written before Covid, but we still had the dumpster fire of everything else that was happening before that."[6] Dylan noted that while he does not consider it to be a political album, current events in the United States certainly had an impact on his writing.[7] As he emphasized to Consequence of Sound, perseverance in spite of turbulent times is a major theme on the album. This theme is especially notable on the track "I'll Let You Down (But I Will Not Give You Up)", which uses a "wayward bus" as a metaphor for social upheaval in the United States, but features a hopeful chorus with Shelby Lynne singing harmony.

Reception[edit]

Exit Wounds received a score of 72 out of 100 from Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Mojo gave it four out of five stars and called it Dylan's "best original work by some yards." In a mostly positive review, American Songwriter wrote that "the sound is leaner, a little less rough around the edges and solidly in sync as well." Rolling Stone's review was mixed, giving the album three out of five stars, and writing that Dylan "can evoke an Americana-tinged Warren Zevon, gruff but tender, with the best songs featuring Shelby Lynne's empathetic vocals."

Musical style[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic72/100 [8]
Review scores
SourceRating
Mojo[9]
Glide Magazine[10]
American Songwriter[11]
Uncut[12]
Pitchfork[13]
Rolling Stone[14]
Classic Rock[15]

Pitchfork assessed the album as a return to classic rock with no adjustments made to accommodate "contemporary fashion," referencing the album's opener "Maybe Your Heart's Not in It No More"  as a showcase of "soulful Americana."[13]

Classic Rock magazine largely agreed in terms of the style of the album, describing the majority of the music as radiating a "melancholic Americana". Classic Rock also praised its variety: referencing elements of pop rock, roots rock, as well as a country music influence, due in large part to the contributions of guest vocalist Shelby Lynne on four tracks.  The album's overall genre was described as a combination of Americana and rock-inflected power pop.[16]

Glide magazine classified the album as having a "stripped-down guitar-forward" sound.[17]

PopMatters wrote that the album was not a blues album, but carried a "subtle nod to the blues throughout", suggesting an album more like The Rolling Stones than The Beatles.[18]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Maybe Your Heart's Not In It No More"Jakob Dylan5:00
2."Roots and Wings"Jakob Dylan3:54
3."I Hear the Ocean (When I Wanna Hear Trains)"Jakob Dylan4:29
4."The Dive Bar In My Heart"Jakob Dylan3:31
5."Darlin' Hold On (w/Shelby Lynne)"Jakob Dylan3:42
6."Move the River"Jakob Dylan4:28
7."I'll Let You Down (But I Will Not Give You Up)"Jakob Dylan4:04
8."Wrong End of the Spear"Jakob Dylan4:06
9."Who's That Man Walking 'Round My Garden"Jakob Dylan2:58
10."The Daylight Between Us"Jakob Dylan3:44

Personnel[edit]

  • Jakob Dylan - vocals, guitar
  • Butch Walker - producer, recording engineer, guitar, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals
  • Mark Stepro - drums
  • Whynot Jansveld - bass, mastering engineer
  • Aaron Embry - keyboards
  • Val McCallum - guitar
  • Shelby Lynne - vocals (tracks 1,5,6,7)
  • Brian Griffin - drums (track 6)
  • Todd Stopera - assistant engineer
  • Chris Dugan - mix engineer
  • Artwork and design: Rob Carmichael, SEEN
  • Interior Photo: Paige Dylan

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Exit Wounds
Chart (2021) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[19] 90
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 29
US Billboard 200[21] 183
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[22] 3
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[23] 4
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[24] 10
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[25] 32
UK Americana Albums (OCC)[26] 4


Singles

Year Single Chart Position
2021 "Roots and Wings" US Triple A Airplay [27] 6
US Rock & Alternative Airplay[28] 46

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Wallflowers Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  2. ^ "The Wallflowers' 'Exit Wounds' Debuts at No. 3 on Billboard's Top Album Sales Chart". Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  3. ^ Lavin, Will (April 10, 2021). "The Wallflowers announce first album in almost a decade". NME.
  4. ^ "The Wallflowers Announce New Album Exit Wounds, Share New Song "Roots and Wings":Stream". Consequence of Sound. April 9, 2021.
  5. ^ Chelin, Pam (July 13, 2021). "Jakob Dylan, Locked and Loaded". Spin magazine.
  6. ^ Hyden, Steve (June 30, 2021). "Jakob Dylan Reviews Every Album By The Wallflowers". Uproxx.
  7. ^ Kaye, Ben (June 30, 2021). "The Wallflowers Share Origins of New Song "I'll Let You Down (But Will Not Give You Up)": Exclusive". Consequence of Sound.
  8. ^ "Exit Wounds by The Wallflowers". Metacritic. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  9. ^ "Exit Wounds by The Wallflowers". Mojo.
  10. ^ Moore, John (July 8, 2021). "The Wallflowers give us stripped down guitar forward sound on Exit Wounds". Glide Magazine. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  11. ^ Zimmerman, Lee (July 8, 2021). "The Wallflowers' Exit Wounds makes an indelible impact". American Songwriter. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  12. ^ "Exit Wounds by The Wallflowers". Uncut. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (July 10, 2021). "The Wallflowers: Exit Wounds". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  14. ^ "The Wallflowers: Exit Wounds". Rolling Stone. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  15. ^ "The Wallflowers: Exit Wounds". Classic Rock. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  16. ^ Lawon, Dom (July 20, 2021). "New West: The prodigal son returns". Classic Rock. Retrieved August 10, 2021. Hosted at pressreader.com.
  17. ^ Moore, John (July 8, 2021). "The Wallflowers Give Us Stripped-Down Guitar-Forward Sound on 'Exit Wounds' (Album Review)". Glide. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  18. ^ Moore, John (2021-07-08). "The Wallflowers Give Us Stripped-Down Guitar-Forward Sound on 'Exit Wounds' (ALBUM REVIEW)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  19. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Wallflowers – Exit Wounds" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  20. ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Wallflowers – Exit Wounds". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  21. ^ "The Wallflowers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  22. ^ "The Wallflowers Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  23. ^ "The Wallflowers Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  24. ^ "The Wallflowers Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  25. ^ "The Wallflowers Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  26. ^ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20210716.
  27. ^ "Adult Alternative Airplay Charts". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  28. ^ "Rock & Alternative Airplay". Billboard. July 16, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
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