Bob Mould's voice and guitar are two of the most distinctive sounds in rock and roll, and yet he's spent much of the past 15 years trying to distance himself from both. If you've read his autobiography you know that his growth into electronica was genuine and personally edifying, but even his records touted as "returns" to rock music often featured dance beats and vocal takes lathered with vocoder.

Silver Age feels like a very conscious decision to set aside that aspect of Mould's music and directly court the fans who made Sugar somewhat successful in 1993. Boasting the huge riffs and roaring guitar of Copper Blue and a powerful rhythm section in the form of Jason Narducy and Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster, Silver Age proves that Mould hasn't forgotten how to write catchy pop songs with lyrics that adeptly walk the line between the personal and the universal.

The hooks and alt-radio angst of some songs feel a bit perfunctory, but rockers like "The Descent" and "Keep Believing" are undeniable should-be hits that rank alongside the best of Mould's post-Hüsker Dü work. Silver Age isn't a classic, but it is both Mould's most consistent album in two decades and proof you can revisit the past with your artistic integrity intact.