It's hard not to think that the timing of 's third album indicates something about leader 's state of mind. Released in the thick of 's much ballyhooed farewell tour, looks toward the past but, unlike 's main group, it chooses not to live there. The "Modern" in the title means something: there are slight electronic flourishes, apparent both in the rhythms and the accents, there's an acknowledgment that disco-rock is now part of the hard rock fabric ("Miracle" is danceable in a way or any other project never was), there's a slight postmodern flair in how the group mashes up all the classic rock styles -- glam, pomp, arena anthems, Sunset Strip sleaze, post-grunge psychedelia -- into an invigorating pulp. That palpable energy is another distinguishing characteristic of . Where previously dwelled on intense emotional bloodletting -- this is a band, after all, that debuted with a companion soundtrack to its leader's memoir The Heroin Diaries -- this is a joyful, forward-looking rock record, the most fun has been on record since the heyday of . The versatility of -- it's undeniably anchored in classic hard rock sounds but feels restless in its cage -- is also a tip-off that is now pouring his creative energies into this band, not . While his old band is taking a farewell bow, his new band sounds as if it's just getting started, and that kinetic crack is why packs a real kick. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine