Blind Melon

Dead rock stars are problematic. When Blind Melon's charismatic singer Shannon Hoon died from an overdose at the peak of their popularity, most people assumed it was the end of the band. It took a few more years before they called it a day in 1999 but the continued sales of compilations and live albums convinced the band to give it another shot with a replacement for Hoon. Rather than a fresh start, this is an attempt to pick up where they left off. New singer Travis Warren sounds quite a lot like Hoon, something that's obviously not a coincidence, and that might be enough to convince fans of the band that this is still Blind Melon. That might be good enough when the band are playing past hits live but there isn't anything as catchy as "No Rain" on For My Friends. So, rather than a new beginning, the album feels like things being dusted off for one last drive around the block.