It's a more mature sound, there's no doubt about that. Less shouty, less raucous. And there's Androgynous, the staple of recent Spotify Discover Weekly playlists. And there are some cool songs, no doubt. But the best rock album ever, etc etc? I am not quite hearing it. On first lesson I prefer Hootenanny, no doubt, though that grew on me quickly.

I could hear more Pixies in this one, maybe less Lemonheads? It's a fine mix. A good recipe. Still, something doesn't stick. It's annoying, when you know you're supposed to like something, but it's not happening. I've had it for decades, sacred cows that won't moo. Maybe, as the coming of age narrative suggests, these are songs you have to grow up with. Maybe Sixteen Blue would send shivers down my spine if I associated it with a long walk home across fields from some girl's house as a teenager. And it's difficult to postdate that kind of connection, that feeling running up your spine, whether My Favourite Dress or Back to the Old House, or Catch or the Killing Moon or whatever. You just had to be there.

And one thing I would note - on every album so far, there has been at least one song I haven't taken to at all. Just not clicking. On this one, it's Answering Machine.