Though there are still some traces of the confessionals that underpinned through , finds turning toward craft. Perhaps he had to, since arrived after three blockbuster albums and never-ending tours. Even so, this record winds up not feeling as immediate or soulful as its predecessors, especially since it begins with a tossed-off rocker called possibly his most careless tune since It's fun, but once it's done, the record really starts to kick into high gear with a the equal of anything on its two predecessors. Throughout winds up performing better on the than the rockers, which, while good, tend to sound a little formulaic. Still, 's formula is good and if and would have been second stringers on , they offer a nice balance here, and the rest of the record alternates between similarly well-constructed rockers and introspective like Compared to its predecessors, this does feel a little weak, but compared with its peers, it's a strong, varied album that finds at a near peak. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine