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Singer/songwriter Jesse Malin left his trash-brat frontman gig with D Generation with the intent of making an intimate little acoustic solo album. But producer/pal Ryan Adams convinced him to get in touch with his inner Ramone on his 2003 debut, The Fine Art of Self Destruction. The following year, Malin continued that creative arc with The Heat, nailing the big Rock sound of Bruce Springsteen and the Punk swagger of Paul Westerberg on a set of songs that celebrated the visceral passion of Rock with the inherent loneliness of the road. For his third solo album, Glitter in the Gutter, Malin offers a similar range of material, from the tough Guitar Rock burn of "In the Modern World" and "Princess of Paradise" to the piano melancholy of "Broken Radio," a duet with fan/booster Springsteen, and the slinky urban jungle bop of "Tomorrow Tonight," featuring Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme on guitar. Overall, Malin injects a more potent Pop atmosphere into Glitter's tracks, particularly on the ebullient "Black Haired Girl" and the chugging "Little Star," while maintaining the muscular foundation of his first two albums. One of Glitter's treats is Malin's take on the Replacements' classic "Bastards of Young," where he strips the song of its guitar anthemics and reimagines it as a reflective and heartwrenching piano ballad. While there's nothing particularly groundbreaking about Glitter in the Gutter, Malin works this groove so magnificently, it's hard to find fault in its consistency. (BB) Grade: B+
