I'd say it was well worth the wait, but 16 YEARS?! Cmon! Anyway, "Rock&Roll Submarine" [unsure if there are supposed to be spaces between the "Rock", "&" and "Roll" or not? The mp3s give the album as "Rock&Roll Submarine"] is just fantastic, and, three full listens into it, gets better each subsequent time. How does it compare to UO albums past? Well, it's rougher and rawer than "Saturation" and "Exit The Dragon"; intentionally so, and it has a different swagger. There's less artifice to it, Nash and Eddie's showiness has shifted very slightly from style to substance, though UO were always a vastly more substantial band than critics gave them credit for. In the early '90s, it seemed like there was a mad rush to talk about the group's antics, fashion, and attitude — what was forgotten was the incredible ear Nash and Eddie have for chord progressions, riffs, and mood...their sheer bloodyminded rock-n-roll songwriting talent. From the early days of the group up 'til present there's always been a solid sense of distillation in the UO sound, a UO-specific method of juxtaposing subtly melancholic and delicate chords with high-volume riffs and surprising transitions, lyrics and vocal inflections leading the listener's mind to correctly identify each song's intent and to absorb the offered emotional content. Human emotions are an unbelievably wide spectrum; we only have words for a few of 'em. It's an incredibly difficult thing to actually communicate a nuanced emotion to another person, the best venue for it is art, music... And the best groups make music that leads you to feel you're sharing the songwriters' experience of the world. Urge has been good at that since the late '80s, and I submit that "Rock&Roll Submarine" sees them at the height of their abilities. My favorites currently: "Mason Dixon", "Little Vice, "Quiet Person".