Breach (The Wallflowers album)

A Spin magazine article looking back on Jakob Dylan's 30-year career noted that Breach alludes to his mixed feelings about his lineage and fame more than any other album in his discography.^[3] Spin commented that "Dylan addresses the cynics on lead single 'Sleepwalker,' a catchy rocker that reflects how Dylan felt at the height of his fame: like a dazed character drifting through his own life." They similarly point to "Hand me Down", where "Dylan sings self-effacingly about the perception of having failed to live up to his pedigree." As part of an interview for the piece, Dylan told Spin that "I like that record a lot. It’s more complicated than Bringing Down The Horse, and I think I started getting better as a songwriter.”

In another retrospective interview with Uproxx, Dylan said that while this was a "difficult record to make," he feels it features some of his best songwriting. He told music critic Steven Hyden that "By Breach, I knew there was going to be scrutiny on some of the songs and I decided that I was just going to not care about it."^[4]

More information Aggregate scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	71/100[5]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Billboard	[7]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[7]
Q	[7]
Revolver	[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
Spin	4/10[9]
The Village Voice	B−[10]

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Despite weak album sales, Breach received strong reviews from critics. AllMusic said of the album: "On the surface, there's not much different between this album and its predecessor, but the songs are stronger, sharper, and the performances are lean, muscular, and immediate."^[6] Rolling Stone was also receptive of the album, stating: "The slow stuff might be a bit ponderous, but the first six or seven songs manage a rare trick: They're incandescent enough to jump out at you on the radio, yet are steeped in a type of introspective inquiry that was once integral to rock & roll, and has nearly vanished."^[8]

All songs written by Jakob Dylan.

1. "Letters from the Wasteland" – 4:29
2. "Hand Me Down" – 3:35
3. "Sleepwalker" – 3:31
4. "I've Been Delivered" – 5:01
5. "Witness" – 3:34
6. "Some Flowers Bloom Dead" – 4:44
7. "Mourning Train" – 4:04
8. "Up from Under" – 3:39
9. "Murder 101" – 2:32
10. "Birdcage" – 3:28 (total 7:42 with "Babybird")
11. "Babybird" (hidden track) – 3:40

Personnel adapted from (Breach) liner notes^[13]

The Wallflowers

• Mario Calire – drums
• Jakob Dylan – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar
• Rami Jaffee – keyboards, vibes, backing vocals
• Greg Richling – bass guitar, percussion, backing vocals
• Michael Ward – lead guitar, backing vocals

Additional personnel

• Matt Chamberlain – drums
• Greg Leisz – additional musician
• Jon Brion – additional musician
• Lenny Castro – percussion
• Mike Campbell – guitar
• Elvis Costello – backing vocals
• Michael Penn – backing vocals
• Chris Penn – backing vocals
• Frank Black – backing vocals
• Gary Louris – backing vocals
• Buddy Judge – backing vocals
• Joul Derouin – strings
• Suzie Katayama – strings
• Karie Prescott – strings
• Michele Richards – strings
• Greg Adams – horns
• Kenneth Kugler – horns
• Nicholas Lane – horns
• Salvator Cracchiolo – horns
• Mitchell Froom – horns arranger
• Michael Penn – production
• Andrew Slater – production
• Ted Jensen – mastering
• Tom Lord-Alge – mixing