Scott Weilands Happy in Galoshes is the
Stone Temple Pilots frontmans response to the last two hard years of his life. The songs on Galoshes touch on the death of Weilands brother as well as the deterioration of his eight-year marriage. But far from being a dark dirge, Galoshes has a lively, expansive sound that veers away from his work in STP or even Velvet Revolver. Though still a rock album, Galoshes demonstrates that Weilands interests go beyond the hit-heavy sound that made his name.
Going for a Bowie Vibe
Happy in Galoshes is Weilands second solo album, the first being 1998s 12 Bar Blues. Galoshes improves on the earlier effort by delivering a better set of songs. (Note: Happy in Galoshes also comes in a deluxe two-disc edition that contains more new material.) The man worships David Bowie, which comes through most overtly in a mediocre cover of Bowies Fame, and a lot of the album seeks to harness that artists gift for moody, otherworldly ambiance, most notably on the downhearted ballad She Sold Her System. With Stone Temple Pilots, Weiland proved to be an intriguing chameleon, morphing from a Jim Morrison-like figure into an androgynous glam-rock singer when the moment called for it. Galoshes demonstrates that same shape-shifting quality, and part of the albums pleasure is its confident adventurousness.An Impressionistic Portrait of Inner Turmoil
Those familiar with the backstory to Galoshes might expect a breakup album like Bob Dylans Blood on the Tracks or a funereal record on par with Lou Reeds Magic and Loss. But while there is a melancholy vibe that pervades the album, Galoshes isnt a painfully personal diary of a man in mourning for a brother and a failing relationship. Instead, the pain is in the intimations, like the opening cut Missing Cleveland, which references the city of Weilands childhood with the snow and lonely bars where everybody knows the truth and lets it be. Tabloid fans will be disappointed: Galoshes is no tawdry tell-all. Instead, the oblique references to lost connections throughout Galoshes add up to an impressionistic portrait of Weilands fragile inner life.Not Every Experiment Works
While Weilands experimentation can be engaging not to mention a way to distance himself from the bands hes known for sometimes the songs work more as sonic exercises than fully-functioning songs. This becomes true especially near the end of Galoshes, where the tracks become increasingly atmospheric but fail to connect. The pretty chamber-pop of Arch Angel and the carnivalesque Beautiful Day show real skill, although neither hits you on an emotional level. By contrast, the simple pop sensibility of the country-ish Tangle With Your Mind and the new wave-influenced Crash resonate the songs feel both timeless and modern. On the whole, Galoshes is half-successful in turning Weilands musical wanderings into stirring music.Scott Weiland's '"Happy" in Galoshes' - Bottom Line
Fans of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver might be perplexed by the tonal shifts of Happy in Galoshes its hardly an album youd expect from the frontman of those bands. But it reveals Scott Weilands willingness to push himself creatively. Hard times inspired the album, and Weiland has managed to produce something meaningful out of his anguish.Best '"Happy" in Galoshes' Tracks:
Tangle With Your Mind (Purchase/Download)Crash (Purchase/Download)
Missing Cleveland (Purchase/Download)
She Sold Her System (Purchase/Download)
Release date November 25, 2008
Softdrive Records/New West Records





