Train, 'Save Me San Francisco'

Release date: October 27, 2009
Record label: Columbia
Official Web site: http://www.trainline.com/

The buzz: The mellow San Francisco rock band best known for its Grammy-winning 2001 hit “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” is back after a three-year break, during which time frontman Patrick Monahan released the solo effort “Last of Seven.” This marks the group's fifth LP.

The verdict: One warm hug of an album, “Save Me San Francisco” is chock-full of advice on how to deal when stuff gets rough set to jangly guitars, as on “Words”: “When words keep you from feeling good/Use ‘em as firewood/And let ‘em burn.” Despite reducing from a quintet to a trio on this release, Train sound bigger and better (particularly Monahan’s confident vocals), and the production is tighter. But these darlings of adult contemporary radio still have all the edge of a butter knife.

Did you know? Monahan claims to have penned "maybe 60 to 80 songs" in the process of trying to write this record.

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