I just checked out the album on Spotify. I really like Back in the Day, and You and Me stands out as a good rocker, but the rest is a bit of a letdown. It's not as layered and polished as Lightning Strikes Twice. It's obviously an intentional choice to do something more stripped back and raw, but I don't think it fits them.
It's a shame, because Lightning Strikes Twice is easily one of the best melodic rock albums of the 2000s. Aside from the last track, that album is just perfect. I recall reading that Frontiers wanted them to do something similar to After the Rain. That obviously wasn't the case on this album. Not that I want them to just repeat the same thing over, but they're so good at that style.