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SOUP is one of my all-time favourite albums so this album had a lot to live up to! The albums worth a listen to from start to finish but there are only 5 stand out tracks on here the others are not memorable.
1.With The Right Set of Eyes
2.Wishing Well
3.Down On The Pharmacy
4.Make A Difference
5.Harmful Belly
The album just lacks the interesting ideas they had on SOUP, it just rings out the sound of an album being issued too soon before they've got all the songs yet.

Rating: 3 out of 5

I'm going to try and not mention Shannon Hoon in this review.........ok, I'm not. It's impossible. Let's just say that the original members of the band have found the perfect replacement to Hoon if what they were after was someone that sounds so similar, that at times he sounds identical. Travis Warren was a Melon fan before joining the band and it shows with some obvious emotion creeping through during his singing and lyrics that Shannon would have been proud of.
The album itself is joy to listen to. I was so worried that this would be a complete anti-climax after such a long lay-off for the band. I was also worried that Hoon's absence from the song writing would damage the quality of it also, but that's not the case. What we have here is the perfect follow up to Blind Melon's debut album. For me, Soup took a huge swerve in another direction when I really wanted to hear more of the same after the first album. The band have maintained the sound and emotions that the first album conveyed, but have added a maturity to that, while Travis stamps his own authority over it.
There's a multitude of instruments to be heard amongst the depths of the songs, the lyrics are simple, catchy, but intelligent, the production is first class, but the high standard of the songs is what is pleasing the most. It's safe to say that there isn't a poor track amongst the 13. If you're looking for highlights it would be difficult to look past With The Right Set of Eyes, Wishing Well, Sometimes, Tumblin Down, Father Time & Cheetum Street........but some folk could argue the rest! If you're a fan, buy it. You'll be glad you did! If you liked the first album in particular, buy it! If you like rock with a singer/songwriter, southern feel to it, buy it.

The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because that would rank it up there with the debut and for me, that's reserved for true classics.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This was going to be one of the most difficult albums to do even more so than Nico. The first four tracks are straight out of the Hoon songbook. I swear you can hear him from beyond, totally brilliant. The other tracks are great too, I am not sure if they would have been there if there had not been a personnel change but they do compliment the already confident tones, one word, FANTASTIC.

Rating: 5 out of 5

I totally agree with the last review. The songs are all sound, and they have some great riffs, but they don't have the quwirky ideas that they had on soup that made that album so special. Travis Warren has a great hoonesque voice, but the lyrics don't have any of shannon hoons magic in them, the sometimes nonsensical lyrics that make some of the songs so interesting and likable are gone. Don't get me wrong, the lyrics aren't bad lyrics, but after several listens, you really begin to appreciate how much shannon hoon actually put into the music.
It was never going to be the same, but this is a great tribute to the shannon, and Travis Warren has done a great job, but those are some pretty big shoes to fill.
Needle, fetal, someones pouring warm gravy all over me.....
Saw them live last night though and they are still amazing.

Rating: 4 out of 5

why does the singer feel he needs to replicate the late shannon hoon. hes singing miles out of his comfort zone and strains like buggery. sounds like me singing no rain in the shower. massively dissapointing

Rating: 2 out of 5