Bob Mould

Since the late '80s, Bob Mould's output has been famously varied, veering from anthemic rock to club land techno. While 2008's District Line mixed acoustic and electronic elements originally intended for separate releases (to appropriately mixed results), Life and Times contains a noticeable singularity of vision, and is all the stronger for it. Mining similar territory as he did with Sugar, songs like "Wasted World" and "MM 17" are worthy additions to a weighty back catalogue, both demonstrating Mould's unquestionable ability to craft a powerful, driving rock'n'roll song. Highlights include the subtle title track, a gently building meditation on memory and human relationships, and the comparatively lightning-fast "Argos," one of Mould's punkest-sounding songs in a while, complete with his most sexy, sexually suggestive lyrics to date. Yeah, it rules.