On his ninth solo album, this indie-rock godfather revisits some familiar sounds — namely, the distorted blitzkrieg of his days with Hüsker Dü and the hard pop of his next band, Sugar. Life and Times lacks memorable melodies, and cuts like the slow-moving "City Lights (Days Go By)" feel a bit too sober. But the buzzsaw guitars on "MM 17" are insistent and grooving, and Mould’s visit to a sex club on the blazing "Argos" is unnecessary — the storm of guitars here is proof enough that he's still alive and kicking.