Alice in Chains vocalist Layne Staley teams with Seattle pals Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) and Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees) in the tradition of other part-time grunge aggregations like Brad and Hater. These 10 numbers -- mostly somber, acoustic-hued ballads like the single "River of Deceit"-- are a therapeutic soul-cleansing for the troubled Staley. Core fans of any of the aforementioned bands will rank this with the solo work of Screaming Tree frontman Mark Lanegan (a guest vocalist here). (с) Jeff Bateman
