Before gaining international stardom with the annoyingly- repetitive "Tubthumping," anarchist- poseurs Chumbawamba released an album called Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records, a slap in the face for Ethiopia fund- raisers USA for Africa and Hands Across America. A little less than a decade later, Soul Asylum discovered that pictures of missing children sell records just as well when they shot the video for "Runaway Train."

Candy From a Stranger is the antithesis of every pre- Let Your Dim Light Shine Soul Asylum record in that there's not an original note on it. Mediocrity lurks in every hook and chord. Even the hit single, "I Will Still Be Laughing," is composed of riffs bogarted directly from REM's "Crush With Eyeliner," and Dave Pirner's raspy attempts to vocally salvage the pretentious "Blood Into Wine" prove an exercise in futility. But it's "Close" that is the most contrived and cliche- ridden of all, with such innovative lyrics as "If it's the thought that counts/ You can always count on me." Just more evidence that Soul Asylum's dim light is growing even dimmer.

-Susan Moll