While we here at poploser are inclined to shower all things Greg Dulli with superfluous affection, not all the man touches turns to musical gold. By far the weakest Twilight Singers offering to date, Dynamite Steps gained its ranking more by a thin playing field than by the strength of its own merits. Trademark production quality issues still abound—why does Dulli insist that every Singers release resemble a treble-deficient mixing board capturing sounds emanating from a soundproofed portable toilet? (You don’t need Bob Rock, just better equalization skills.) It is also readily apparent that he has overdosed on “BFF” and Gutter Twins cohort Mark Lanegan; Lanegan’s macabre sonic overtones permeate virtually every aspect of the album.

But while Steps is not a masterpiece as a whole, a few of its parts do add up to be just that. “Gunshots”, with its tremendous build (a Dulli hallmark), may be one of the best singles of the year. “On the Corner” summons the listener to join the Singers and rejoice and revel in the dark spaces of their offerings. “The Blackbird and the Fox” is the musical equivalent of post-candle smoke—a beautifully twisting and rising duet between Dulli and Ani DiFranco that collects and pools in the ominously still lyrical air, until it gently dissipates into the fade.

As always, it’s good to know that the Twilight Singers on their worst day still outclass most every other band on their best day.

♫ “Gunshots”