There aren't too many musical artists/acts that I still get excited about when it comes to new albums and Mellencamp is one of those artists (I love the progression of his music, especially during the period from American Fool and Uh Huh to Scarecrow, The Lonesome Jubilee and Big Daddy).

To me, what is disappointing in his new album is the sound mixing.  To my ears, the musical instruments have drowned out his vocals and have completely overtaken them.  It's not that they don't sound good, because they do - but his lyrics are completely overtaken by them.  In a way, it's like having the balance of speakers out of whack with one side more pronounced than the other.