After 2006’s Rockford, it would be understandable to call The Latest a disappointment. But it would feel somewhat harsh. It’s a solid album, certainly par for the course for Cheap Trick lately, who showed on Rockford they still had quite a stock of catchy riffs and vocal harmonies in store.

So why does so much of The Latest feel unmemorable? Perhaps it’s because a vast majority of the album consists not of pop rock songs, but slower ballads along the lines of “The Flame” from 1988’s Lap of Luxury. They feel sappy and difficult to differentiate from each other. On top of that, the album’s sparking production and shiny surfaces only serve to make the album seem even more flashy yet uninspired. The album oozes over-production.

There aren’t really any bad songs on The Latest. At worst they’re unmemorable. The album peaks rather quickly with the songs “When the Lights Are Out” (a Slade cover) and “Miss Tomorrow.”

The Latest is a perfectly acceptable and enjoyable Cheap Trick album, but it certainly isn’t one of their best albums. Maybe somewhere in the middle. But it’s great to hear the band performing with so much energy; the music is very vibrant. Maybe just a bit TOO vibrant.

Album track highlights: “When the Lights Are Out,” “Miss Tomorrow,” “Alive”