The Silver Lining is Soul Asylum's first release since 1998 (and last with late bass player Karl Mueller), and in spite of a return to the tougher guitar sound of yesteryear, songs such as "Crazy Mixed-Up World" and "Success Is Not So Sweet" are so hackneyed and polished that it's hard to find any discernible difference between this and current twaddle such as the All-American Rejects. Pirner and guitarist Dan Murphy have never been known as the brightest of bulbs, but previously, they could turn a phrase and a riff into something memorable (as heyday gems "Cartoon," "Freaks" and "Somebody to Shove" bear witness). Here, the recycled melodies and substandard lyrics make one pine for a time before stardom turned rough-hewn charm into the worst thing a rock record can be: faceless.