most acts tend to lose authenticity with age. They get older, and while the songs are still well-written, the production values are too good, it's too slick... I can't put my finger on it. Maybe "over-engineered" would be the correct way to articulate it. But this, this sounds incredibly authentic for 2008. Which isn't to say he's ceded control to the studio engineers, he just hasn't let the recording process overtake the performance.