confirmed that could age gracefully, but it never sounded modern; it sounded classicist. With its successor, , was determined to bring into the '90s, albeit tentatively, and hired hip collaborators like ( ) and ) to give the veteran group an edge on their explorations of drum loops and samples. Of course, are , and no production is going to erase that, but the group is smart enough -- or is stubborn enough -- to work within its limitations and to have producer act as executive producer. As a result, sounds like without sounding tired. The band is tight and energetic, and there's just enough flair to the sultry the menacing and the low-key, sleazy to make them sound contemporary. But the real key to the success of is the solid, craftsmanlike songwriting. While there aren't any stunners on the album, nothing is bad, with like and sounding as convincing as And, as always, contributes three winners -- including the workout and the slow-burning -- that cap off another fine latter-day record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine