These Days

These Days is an ambitious sixth album on which Bon Jovi, while keeping the great lift for arenas, steps deeply into more introspective, realistic words. Pushing the mature direction of the previous Keep the Faith further, heavy themes such as the shadow of mid-1990s society and grown-up conflict run throughout. Jon Bon Jovi’s singing delicately moves between hope and fatigue, resistance and empathy. From the power of the opener “Hey God” and the catchy “Something for the Pain” to the hit ballad “This Ain’t a Love Song” and the deeply sorrowful title track “These Days,” the songs hold big melody yet a sure depth that is by no means light, while a cut like “Lie to Me” conveys the work’s introspective appeal. A grown-up rock album that faces head-on the more complex, shadowed side of life, rather than flashy festivity. Highly praised especially in Europe, this album strongly shows the band’s mature expression as songwriters. Representative of Bon Jovi’s mid-1990s, it is a fulfilling work full of depth and engagement — a record evoking their musical deepening.