Just when I'm ready to write the aging hipster off, he proves as likable and familiar as always, that is except the blatantly self-righteous "All U Can Eat"****, like he can coin a new phrase - They give no fuck - which actually redeems itself in the verse about the asshole with the peace sign who runs him off the road. "There's Always Someone Cooler Than You"**** has a surprisingly positive message about both the folly of judging and the un-hip and being un-hip. "Get Your Hands Off My Woman"**** is a joyfully blatant but catchy Joe Jackson rip-off - though the joy may come solely from screaming 'motherfucker' as he likes to do. The character description makes "Rent A Cop" amusing for about 3 minutes, but jams out way too long. There are some missteps, as the by-the-numbers Billy Joel "Songs Of Love" (sounds like "Only A Woman"), cheesy 90's pop in "Learn To Live With What You Are" (Smithereens' "Too Much Passion" at best) and frantic but mundane "Dog", and safely unambitious "Adelaide" (every girl-name-song he's ever done). "Bruised"**** almost falls into the familiarity trap, but has the personalization makes it more than just one of his anecdotes, and "Still"**** definitely goes on with the orchestra way too long, but makes up for it with the wordless chorus hook. The true fun of the album is the covers. The reworking of The cure's "In Between Days"**** is lively, but "Bitches Aint Shit"**** is just ridiculous until the 3-part vocals of "that's some real conversation for your ass" delivers the chuckle suckerpunch - by the time the cowbell-driven outro comes along I have a new favorite song.
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