Maximilian Hecker's seventh album is unquestionably polished sounding, doubtless helped by the keen ears and experience of Killing Joke veteran Youth, wearing his long-established producer's hat throughout.

But the German singer/songwriter is a classic example of the kind of figure in music who has succeeded so well in interpreting a particular sound -- in this case, the epic melancholy of Coldplay in particular -- that there's little else to say about the end results.

Nearly every song is a steady, mid-paced, well-sung evocation of rock & roll as mood music for vaguely grey afternoons, minus anything that makes it memorable after immediate listening.

Perhaps that's not entirely true -- there's amusement to be had in the ghost of the Smashing Pumpkins' lead guitar figure for "Today" on "Head Up High," while "Heavenlies" rocks things up a little bit -- a little.

Otherwise, there's just not much else to add other than the fact that someone somewhere has doubtless worked out some TV soundtrack and commercial placement for a song or two here even before its formal release.