Beneath still going strong with THE DREAM SYNDICATE, Steve Wynn has relased more than a dozen proper solo records since the early 90s. Steve Wynn went from the lower reaches of the Los Angeles underground music scene to major critical acclaim practically overnight with the release of the Dream Syndicate's debut album, The Days of Wine and Roses, in 1982. Being part of the Paisley Underground (the neo-'60s Southern California scene that included next to Dream Syndicate also The Bangles, Green on Red, Rain Parade) proved to be the first act in a long and fascinating career in which Wynn matured into one of the canniest songwriters in rock, penning smart, flinty lyrics that told perceptive tales of human behavior both noble and otherwise, married to tough, engaging melodies full of muscular guitar work. Wynn launched his solo career with 1990's Kerosene Man... Sweetness and Light blends the '60s psychedelic pop of The Beatles and The Byrds with the punk intensity of groups like The Velvet Underground and The Kinks. The album magically captures the furious intensity of Wynn's concert performances and blends it with the brilliant pop-oriented production of Wynn and John Agnello. Agnello has previously worked on albums by Dinosaur Jr. and Patti Smith. "I honestly think this is my best sounding record and a lot of the credit has to go to John Agnello," said Wynn. The album follows the same blueprint as 1996' Melting in the Dark, finding Steve Wynn exploring the feedback-drenched, psychedelicized rock that was/is his signature with the Dream Syndicate. While it's not as heavy as its predeccessor, the record has a grander array of sonic textures and a number of well-crafted songs that make it worthwhile for longtime fans. The album's kicks off with the adrenaline-pumping air travel nightmare of Silver Lining and never looks back. The title track pushes off Linda Pitmon's powerful cadence and lands in the swirling guitar-drenched insanity of Ray Davies' Strange Effect. Eerie keyboards float in the background to This Deadly Game making Wynn's vocals even more haunting. Sweetness and Light is an album that is full of cleverly crafted pop tunes that will immediately capture your attention and repeatedly bring you back for more. Newly created artwork, including the original 12 tracks, only in slightly revised order, to fit the full album on both sides of the LP. For fans of Dream Syndicate, Green On Red, Rain Parade