Mr. Mould worked slowly but surely on his “return to form” for four years or so, beginning with the middle bits of 2009’s Life and Times and climaxing with 2012’s Silver Age. The latter was the first time in 15 years he was content—determined, even—to give his fans what they seemed to really want from him. Silver Age delivered 10 straight tracks of hooks, fuzz, and momentum that recalled the whirligig of Mould’s youth. So now what? Purists will shake their fists, but I find Beauty & Ruin (Merge Records) even more rewarding than its predecessor. Silver Age comes at you like a solid block of distortion. But Beauty & Ruin gives you room to move and shows more sides of Bob’s well-aged songwriting personality, often showcasing numerous perspectives (and personal ones, at that) in a single song.

A few examples: “Hey Mr. Grey”  whips up of youthful frenzy, spewing vitriol on the young. “‘Hey Mr. Grey,’ that’s what the children say. Life used to be so hard—get off my yard.” It’s a really funny, poppy song about aging and resignation. “Forgiveness” hints at some of Mould’s sonic interests beyond the maximum rock & roll for which he’s most loved. It’s a welcome change in the middle of the set and features the rawest, most emotional singing on the album. And then there’s “Let the Beauty Be,” with its acoustic guitar intro and featuring a mostly shallow lyric about shaking off the bad times and trying not to take your friends down with you. It’s full of platitudes, and Bob knows it, hence the doo-doo-doo-doo’s finishing out the song. He sounds simultaneously inspired and fully aware of the futility of expressing it, but he’s giving it a shot anyway, singing “it may not be too much, but it’s enough.”

Worry not, though. Husker Dü fans need only look to “Little Glass Pill” and “Kid with the Crooked Face” to get their wig-flipping quotient. But it’s the Sugar fans who really win out, with tracks like “The War,” “Fire in the City,” and “Tomorrow Morning” evoking the now-legendary trio. Finally, “I Don’t Know You Anymore” is easily the catchiest song Mould has released since the early ’90s. Maybe the difference between this album and Silver Age is that Bob doesn’t have anything left to prove. That’s a great situation for a veteran musician who’s less concerned about navigating expectations and more interested in embracing his legacy and making a ruckus while he still can.