Not sure it's better than The Circle, but definitely on a par. The Circle is still a CD I enjoy listening to 3 1/2 years after release and would probably rate as my favourite post-These Days. What About Now is possibly more consistent but nothing quite hits the spot as well as Love's The Only Rule from The Circle - which I rated as the best BJ song for years. That said, What About Now, Pictures of You and Army of One are excellent songs (and them some) from an album that I can see beng a real keeper.

All in all, What About Now is the perfect BJ CD for 2013...plenty of catchy, sing along melodies and an updated, perhaps more adult, sound which reflects that their core audience will have grown with them over the last 20-30 years and also attract contemporary listeners without previous affiliation.

From a personal perspective, when Slippery and New Jersey first came out (I was 8 and 10 respectively) and the years immediately following, you wouldn't have found me enjoying the more reflective side of Springsteen, the rootsy side of Tom Petty and so on. Now in my mid 30s, I still love 80s rock for what it was but have moved on and love Springsteen, Petty as much as the newer sounds like Coldplay - all of which I can hear in What About Now, albeit sometimes with a poppier edge. Just listen to the refrain on With These Two Hands (bonus track on the deluxe - that's pure Coldplay with Jon singing over it and Richie's guitar adding grit.

In short, I think What About Now is fantastic and can't wait to hear the songs live. The band must believe in it as well - 7 of the tracks have been regulars in the setlist over the last month, pre-release.