Slim Dunlap - Times Like This (1996)

Though he'll probably be remembered best for his short stint with the Replacements, Slim Dunlap is one of the last great bar warriors, a true American guitar slinger. His second solo outing mixes one part Tom Waits, two parts country jangle, and three hits of the blues with a lot of secondhand smoke. From the album's roots-rock opener, "Not Yet / Ain't No Fair (In a Rock 'n' Roll Love Affair)," to its beautiful Replacements influenced title track, it continually dodges the predictable. The album turns country when it should turn blues. It turns blues when it should turn rock, and just when you think that it's all going to fall apart, Slim dips into his guitar case for something unpredictable and absolutely indescribable. Sadly, the album's lyrics generally run from weak to predictable, but it still remains one of the few discs that can bring the bar into your living room. --Bill Snyder