Brilliant but bleak was the description i read in a review of this album which kind of sums it up.John Mellencamp has always been a consistently good songwriter making solid albums throughout his career here he excells as there is not a bad track to be found on this record.The songs deal with life and getting older and after two or three plays they sink into your brain and reveal themselves to be quite catchy.Mellencamps voice has never sounded better and his band are excellent i think this is the best album i have heard this year.