Wolves

Throw out any preconceived notions about who Candlebox is. Wolves, the band's seventh album, is rife with brutal lyrical honesty and songs that run the gamut from dirty rock stompers to timeless, radio-ready pop-rock tunes. Wolves captures the live energy of a band embracing all its influences and coalescing them down into the most potent form. "These are songs that I love that the band loved. We didn't stop ourselves from recording anything if we dug it; we allowed each song to dictate to us what it needed musically, instrumentally," explains singer Kevin Martin. Wolves is a modern rock album that also contains "that really sparkly acoustic, Radiohead kind of dreamy guitar and ethereal stuff; we pulled from everything that inspired us, from Neil Young to brand-new bands."

Candlebox introduced the LP with the energized sginle "Let Me Down Easy," an aggro, blues-based rocker with a booming bass and edgy guitar riffing co-written with old Seattle pal Peter Cornell, Chris Cornell's older brother. As for the vibe, Martin knew he "wanted that song to feel and sound like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club." Follow-up pop-tastic gem "My Weakness" is "kind of guttural and like ‘The Summer of ‘69' and Bruce Springsteen tunes; it's one of those love songs where you can feel the band just wants to take off with you the whole time." Reminiscent of chart-topping ‘80s pop-rock that has stood the test of time, Martin knows that "My Weakness" may be perceived as a departure for Candlebox. But that's the point. Martin adds, "It's a love song about a guy longing for a girl."

1. All Down Hill From Here
2. Let Me Down Easy
3. Riptide
4. Sunshine
5. My Weakness
6. We
7. Nothing Left To Lose
8. Lost Angeline
9. Trip
10. Don't Count Me Out
11. Criminals