Description
Soul Asylum – Hurry Up And Wait – Vinyl Record
Soul Asylum’s Hurry Up and Wait, released on April 17, 2020, is a reflective, melodic, and emotionally resonant album that reaffirms the band’s legacy while showcasing a matured version of their signature alt-rock sound. Arriving nearly a decade after their previous studio effort (Delayed Reaction, 2012), this album finds frontman Dave Pirner—the band’s creative anchor—grappling with themes of time, uncertainty, memory, and perseverance, all through the lens of crisp songwriting and heartfelt delivery.
Known for their breakout in the early ’90s with hits like “Runaway Train” and “Somebody to Shove,” Soul Asylum built a reputation on emotionally direct lyrics, hook-driven melodies, and a raw energy rooted in the Minneapolis alternative rock scene. Hurry Up and Wait stays true to those elements but leans more into maturity and introspection than youthful angst. It’s not a reinvention, but a natural progression—one that reflects aging, resilience, and an undimmed passion for making music.
The album blends jangly guitars, power-pop brightness, and melodic alt-rock with subtle touches of Americana and classic rock, often with an almost breezy sense of ease. The production, handled by John Fields, is clean and crisp, giving the band’s arrangements space to breathe while allowing Pirner’s voice and lyrics to take center stage. The current lineup—including drummer Michael Bland (formerly of Prince’s New Power Generation)—delivers tight, focused performances that keep the songs engaging and dynamic.
The opening track, “The Beginning,” sets the tone with its ironic title and warm, optimistic tone. It’s a song about renewal and self-awareness, delivered with jangly guitar lines and Pirner’s ever-earnest vocals. “If I Told You” and “Got It Pretty Good” are standout tracks, combining catchy hooks with lyrical reflections on gratitude, regret, and the fragility of relationships.
One of the most affecting moments on the album is “Social Butterfly,” which tackles modern-day disconnection and anxiety, themes made especially poignant given the album’s release early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The lyrics explore emotional distance and vulnerability in a digital age, framed by a melancholic yet radio-friendly melody.
Elsewhere, songs like “Make Her Laugh” and “Freezer Burn” reveal Pirner’s storytelling instincts and subtle sense of humor. There’s also a laid-back, road-trip vibe to many of the songs—perfect for fans of thoughtful rock with pop sensibilities. Despite being less gritty or explosive than some of the band’s earlier material, there’s a comforting clarity to this more measured approach.
Pirner’s writing shows both emotional maturity and lyrical restraint. He reflects on love, loss, restlessness, and self-doubt with a tone that’s often more conversational than poetic—but it’s exactly that vulnerability and groundedness that make the songs resonate. The album’s title, Hurry Up and Wait, encapsulates its core theme: the tension between urgency and patience, motion and stillness—something both deeply personal and universally relatable.
CHurry Up and Wait was received as a solid return from a veteran band that isn’t chasing trends or trying to relive past glories. Instead, Soul Asylum offers a set of songs that are honest, tuneful, and heartfelt, reminding longtime fans why the band mattered in the first place, while still sounding relevant in a more reflective era.
Hurry Up and Wait is not an album that aims to shake the foundations of rock—but it doesn’t need to. It’s a quietly compelling record, full of seasoned songwriting, emotional clarity, and melodic charm. It reflects the journey of a band that’s survived the industry’s ups and downs, now writing and playing from a place of sincerity and perspective.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
The Beginning
If I Told You
Got It Pretty Good
Make Her Laugh
Busy Signals
Social Butterfly
Dead Letter
Landmines
Here We Go
Breezer Burn
Silent Treatment
Hopped Up Feelin’
Silly Things
