How did respond to the fresh start afforded by ? By delivering a skewed, distinctly British, take on , all pinned down by ' loose autobiography and intense yearning to be anywhere else but here -- or, as he says on the opening track, "I'm a 20th century man, but I don't want to be here." Unlike its predecessors, doesn't overtly seem like a concept album -- there are no stories as there are on -- but each song undoubtedly shares a similar theme, namely the lives of the working class. Cleverly, the music is a blend of American and British roots music, veering from rowdy to boozy . There's as much good humor in the performances as there are in ' songs, which are among his savviest and funniest. They're also quite affectionate, a fact underpinned by the heartbreaking one of the starkest numbers ever penned, seeming all the sadder surrounded by the careening and . That's the key to -- it mirrors the messy flow of life itself, rolling from love letters and laments to jokes and family reunions. Throughout it all, ' songwriting is at a peak, as are themselves. There are a lot of subtle shifts in mood and genre on the album, and the band pulls it off effortlessly and joyously. Regardless of its commercial fate, stands as one of ' best albums. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine