About a year ago, Jakob Dylan described the album that would become "Red Letter Days" as being written under much better circumstances than the band's previous two efforts ("Bringing Down the Horse" and "Breach"). While I was happy to hear that things were going good for Dylan, I was scared that the magic that was a hallmark of the previous albums would be lost. I'm glad to say that isn't the case.

This album is a bit more upbeat than its predecessors. The bouncy opening track "When You're on Top" is catchy, with its anthemic chorus: "I feel fine with the sun in my eyes/The wind in my hair/When I'm falling out of this sky/I'm doing better than I thought I would/But nothing's as good/As when you're on top." That confidence echoes throughout the whole album, reflected in tracks like "How Good It Can Get" and the stand-out "Feels Like Summer Again."

Critics have described this album as a return to the upbeat sound that characterized "Bringing Down the Horse." I agree, and tracks like "Everything I Need" and "Here in Pleasantville" wouldn't have been out of place on that album.

Despite the departure from the norm, "Red Letter Days" is nonetheless a superb album, and is another triumph from one of the best modern rock acts today.