Thanks to the song Runaway Train, for which they rightfully won a Grammy, Soul Asylum needs no introduction. Soul Asylum have been an honest alt-rock band since the 80s, inspiring and thrilling fans all over the world. They can craft aggressive and subtle melodies, tell stories and draw you in. Now they are coming out with a new record and going on tour, during which they are also planning a Prague show.
While it might seem that Soul Asylum are a one-hit wonder band, that’s not the case. They’ve been continuously working on their music since the 1980s and are one of those bands you’d say are doing the craft of musicianship justice. Soul Asylum delights and also gives a little comfort to anyone looking for a safe haven for their soul. Or those who don’t feel quite right in their own head. Both are implicit in the band’s name and both groups have something to offer in their work. It’s no different with the songs on the new record.
Soul Asylum embark on a tour for their thirteenth studio album. It’s called Slowly But Shirley and it’s an absolutely first-rate “Soul Asylum” album. In a good way. It’s nearly forty minutes of rock guitars, psychedelic-tinged pop, a bit of grunge and you can hear some funk in some of the grooves. It’s an alternative rock album with nothing missing.
The lyrics, written by frontman Dave Pirner, are a combination of real experiences and fictional situations that are very easy to find yourself in. “Some of the songs I wrote by just sitting down and writing them,” Pirner says. “On others I worked for years,” he adds.
“There’s a part of me that will never fit in with the others, but I love being around people who love music. I’m true to the idea that Soul Asylum represents,” says Dave Pirner. “The future is bright, everything is good, and if there’s anything in music that can make people feel like everything is going to be okay, then mission accomplished.”
If you too want to feel like everything is going to be okay, come for the show! Because an evening in the company of Soul Asylum will give you exactly that feeling.
