10000 Maniacs - Blind Mans Zoo (1989)

After the success of In My Tribe, it would be expected that hordes of bands would take a stab at the market with their own second-rate versions of the album -- it's disappointing that 10,000 Maniacs would be one of them, churning out not only In My Tribe, Pt. 2, but an inferior copy at that. It's not that the album is bad -- certainly they've perfected their sound, and in many cases, the songs are catchier this time out -- but in handling the issues (there's no shortage of them), Natalie Merchant has become more direct and obvious. For all of its earnestness and good-intentioned teachings, Blind Man's Zoo ultimately fails in its heavy-handed and generally uninteresting approach.