For more than a decade, Jesse Malin has been a promising singer-songwriter better known for his friendships with the likes of Ryan Adams and Bruce Springsteen than for anything he's written or recorded himself. A lot of what makes Malin's likeable third solo album, Glitter In The Gutter, so surprising is that it comes three years after The Heat, a misbegotten arena-rock record full of grunty songs about clichéd beautiful losers. What's doubly surprising is that Glitter In The Gutter doesn't drastically alter The Heat's approach. Malin's production is still slick and grand, and Malin still sings about heroic lovers in a strained, whiny voice. But Glitter's songs come more tightly packed, and at a brisker pace. The opening roots-rock anthem "Don't Let Them Take You Down (Beautiful Day!)" delivers its hummable chorus and gritty licks in less than three minutes, setting the standard for an album that tries, for once, not to overreach.