All About Eve have returned with a new guitarist and renewed optimism on their third release, Touched By Jesus. One had to wonder which direction the band would head into after losing founding guitarist Tim Bricheno to The Sisters of Mercy. Would they repeat the moody, melancholy somber tone of Scarlet and Other Stories, their last release, or return to the sound that gave them their early and greatest chart success? Well vocalist Julianne Regan along with bassist Andy Cousin and drummer Mark Price seem to have made a wise decision by choosing the latter and adding Church guitarist Marty Willson-Piper to counteract the loss of Bricheno as TBJ is the band's most well-written and consistent release to date.

Perhaps it was the poor sales of Scarlet and the subsequent Polygram decision to drop US distribution that led to the drastic 180 degree turn, or perhaps it was Willson-Piper's influence. Regardless, songs such as "Farewell Mr. Sorrow" and "The Dreamer" accentuate Regan's lyrical skills without causing the listener to make a bee line for their Prozac supply. In "Farewell Mr. Sorrow", Regan exclaims to an old lover that she is ready to stand on her own, "And you were wondering if I had dreams of wedding rings. Well, farewell Mr. Sorrow, tomorrow is my own." In "The Dreamer", Regan tells the story, almost encouragingly, of a woman in love with someone not quite grounded in reality,"She never heard a fuller ound....comes as no surprise...She's in love with a dreamer, so in love with his world."

Probably the most endearing quality to TBJ is the fact that even the ballads have a sublime hopefulness to them. Even as Regan asks the listener to feel the pain of loss and loneliness in "Are You Lonely," she reveals to them that time and wisdom will ease the pain of a lost love as long as you promise yourself that you won't make the same mistakes twice.

It is interesting to chart the labels placed on AAE since their formation. First they were a goth band. Then they were a folk-indie type band. Now it appears they are a mainstream rock band, albeit with surreal lyrics. The instruments are played in straight ahead style with very few surprises. There is an overall consistency to the music that was missing before.

However, interestingly enough, two of the tracks have remarkable similarities to the band's early b-sides. "Candy Tree" sounds similar to "Farewell Mr. Sorrow" and "Paradise" strongly resembles "Hide Child."

Perhaps the lone downside to TBJ is the decision to utilize Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour on two tracks. The weakest track on the lp, "Wishing the Hours Away," is dragged down by Gilmour's garishly outdated rock pomposity.

One can only wonder where AAE will head next. What will they do, change labels and add phased guitars? With AAE, anything is possible.