Valence Street
OnValence Street, the brothers offer few surprises: the groove is mighty, while the choice of material weakens the disc's overall impact. "If I Had a Hammer" is hardly as indelible a social statement as their chilling version ofBob Dylan's "With God on Our Side" was onYellow Moon, while too many of the new songs rely on tired romantic clichés. Everything falls together on a few tracks, particularlyRichard Thompson's "Dimming of the Day" and "Mona Lisa," a collaboration withWyclef Jeanthat originally appeared on hisCarnivalalbum. The ghostly funk of "Tears" and "The Dealer" also shows them at their best, suggesting that more fire and brimstone and less "Little Piece of Heaven" is the way to go.--Rickey Wright