Breach (stylized as (Breach)) is the third studio album by the Wallflowers. The album's first single was "Sleepwalker", the video of which poked fun at lead-singer Jakob Dylan's "rock star" status following the success of Bringing Down the Horse. Guests on the album included Elvis Costello, who performed vocals on "Murder 101". Despite positive critical reception, the album failed to match the commercial success of Bringing Down the Horse, seeing a commercial decline. (Breach) peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Background

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. 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."

Reception

Despite weak album sales, "Breach" managed to receive 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." 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."

Track listing

All songs written by Jakob Dylan.

Bonus CD

Some editions include a two-track bonus CD.

Personnel

Personnel adapted from (Breach) liner notes The Wallflowers Additional Personnel

Charts