After over 15 years, we know what to expect from Chris Isaak: a few midtempo numbers, a couple of heartbreaking ballads, and an occasional rocker with all of the lyrics about love, longing and loss. The trick is, no one really knows how to do it any better than Chris. Combining Roy Orbison's voice, Neil Diamond's sensitivity, and Elvis Presley's hair, Chris is the original American Idol.

ALMOST GOT TONIGHT doesn't stray too far from the template although there are a couple of surprises that sets this one apart from the rest of the Chris Isaak catalog. Songs like Let Me Down Easy, Courthouse, I See You Everywhere and One Day are surprisingly upbeat sounding, even if the lyrics are not. The heartbreakers, like Worked It Out Wrong and Life Will Go On, aren't given the country-twang treatment he usually gives his ballads. Then Chris gets downright funky on songs like Always Got Tonight, Notice The Ring and his theme song American Boy. My personal favorite is Cool Love, which starts off slow, shifts into a jangly beat, throws in a few breezy Burt Bacharach ba-ba-ba's, then soars into a chorus of "I'm never gonna let you down" that begs you to sing along. Great stuff.

The end result is one of Chris's better albums, right up there with HEART SHAPED WORLD, FOREVER BLUE and BAJA SESSIONS. It's immensely listener-friendly, whether you want to cry in your beer or take off down the highway for the sunny skies ahead.

With a new producer and a prime-time cable TV show recently added to his resume, Chris Isaak's pitch to the masses is as complete as it may ever be. Always Got Tonight, however, constitutes a rather thorough illustration of the dangers inherent in an attempt at wider appeal, chucking distinctiveness in favor of gloss. Consequently, little more than Silvertone and Isaak's velvet, lugubrious voice remains of his formerly dazzling array of vintage musical devices.

Erik Jacobsen's absence is far too conspicuous for Always Got Tonight to be considered a real, Chris Isaak project. Jacobsen, of Lovin' Spoonful and Norman Greenbaum (Spirit in the Sky) fame, produced every Isaak record from 1985's sparking debut to 1998's conflicted but occasionally riveting Speak of the Devil. To acquaint oneself with the accomplishments of Jacobsen's career is to unravel the mystery behind Isaak's anachronistic sound. The Encyclopedia of Record Producers avers that Jacobsen's production "moves like a fog of longing down a desolate strip of quarter moonlit beach and reverberates across a vast and uncaring sea." With Jacobsen's forlorn musical disposition and old-school rock 'n roll training compounded by Isaak's heart-rending croon, it is no wonder that aerial, contemporary interpretations of the 1960s surf sound like "Blue Hotel" and "Wicked Game" resonate with such poignancy and power. The Jacobsen-Isaak tandem had a mean streak, too, exhibiting its versatility with sizzling rockers such as "Go Walking Down There" and "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing".

Nonetheless, the Encyclopedia also foreshadows the rift that Always Got Tonight manifests, reporting that Isaak "seemed to be at a crossroads in 1998, but with Jacobsen still at his side." Isaak's largely uninspired Speak of the Devil paved the "crossroads" to which the Encyclopedia alludes. Rockers like "Please" were powerful but relatively artless, while rambling ballads like "Flying" and "Breaking Apart" faded into a lack of direction.

Always Got Tonight exposes an artist not only at a crossroads, but alienated by the profound departure of his longtime cohort. It is not that Isaak's latest is a bad album. The problem is that its unusually straightforward, pop-rock demeanor undermines most of what Isaak accomplished in the 80s and 90s. As is expected of any Isaak effort, though, some songs are fused with a familiar energy, beauty and emotion. The sonically massive "One Day" is a rocker of epic proportions, Richard Thompson's shadow invigorates the title track, and the Cure-meet-Tom Petty "Courthouse" is a tutorial in authentic pop-rock. Similarly, Isaak continues his endless homage to Roy Orbison with ballads such as "Life Will Go On" and "Worked it out Wrong." This time around, though, such nods to Isaak's well-established influences are hardly as stirring as the more aesthetic moments on Heart-Shaped World or Forever Blue, and past dirges such as "Blue Spanish Sky" transcend anything on Always Got Tonight by miles.

Plenty of artists alter their musical visions from one album to the next, and many do it tactfully and honestly -- Sheryl Crow, Neil Young and Emmylou Harris, for instance. After plucking the same one or two heartstrings for nearly two decades, Isaak's interest in that same kind of evolution is understandable. But unlike some of his contemporaries, the result is a remarkably unimaginative production that often consumes otherwise tender tunes such as "Let Me Down Easy," and sparer tracks that offer something to savor -- "Somebody to Love" and "Nothing to Say" -- are rare events. Many tracks are curt and unfulfilling ("Notice the Ring," "American Boy") or, if a bit longer, monotonous and impatient (title track, "One Day").

John Shanks's heavy-handed production serves up the same shuffling drums and hooks song after song, while Isaak's performance often retreats to the catchy chorus and the bottom line. Though Speak of the Devil's evident weariness of Isaak's heartbroken surfer boy sound yearned for a fresh start, his journey into newer musical terrain on Always Got Tonight is just as unrewarding. One wonders whether there is anywhere left for Chris Isaak to turn. Some noticeable adjustments are brought on by John Shanks -- the sound is bigger and the tunes are immediately catchy -- oftentimes, though, it all just seems like too much.

This is a good album whose potential for greatness is muffled by a stagnant, pensive approach. The result is a less distinctive and generic pop-rock album. As on most overambitious pop records, the songs guide the listener's experience too forcibly, offering the palate sporadic teasers and washing them down with gallons of slick noise. Erik Jacobsen's hand might have finished these songs with the magic of old. Instead, Isaak settles for a rather run-of-the-mill sound, a less literate and flat response to Lloyd Cole's The Negatives, perhaps. Ultimately, Always Got Tonight is unlikely to sound "Isaak" enough for most fans.

As a long time Chris Isaak fan and proud owner of his past works, I was very excited to hear about this new album. Even though I had heard the single "Let me Down Easy", this was a CD I would buy regardless of hearing anything on it prior to purchasing.

After listening to it for the past several weeks, I am giving this CD 4 stars. I have to concur with many other reviewers in that there are many melodies, rhythms as well as lyrics that are recognizable from Chris's prior albums. However, there is some material on this album that makes it a very good listen. I rather enjoy "One Day", "Notice the Ring", "Cool Love", and the catchy theme song from his television show "American Boy". Everything else I'm inclined to say I've heard before.

Here's my bottom line: Baja Sessions will always be my favorite Chris Isaak CD (and in my opinion his best work to date), but "Always got Tonight" is enjoyable enough that it will be in my CD player for many months to come.

I've been a fan of Chris Isaak since "Heart Shaped World." While I did not think the experimentation of "Speak of the Devil" suited him well, "Always Got Tonight" is a welcome return to form. Some may call it a retread, but Isaak still does not sound like anyone else out there today, and I think that's to his credit. He knows where his strengths are, and plays to them -- which means great music for diehard fans. Cuts like "Notice the Ring" and "Cool Love" are retropop at its best. "I See You Everywhere" is one of the most beautiful songs he's committed to record. The album's standout is "American Boy," a high-energy dance song that rocks in inimitable Isaak fashion. If you've never heard or bought a Chris Isaak CD before, start with this one: it's some of his best work to date.

Don't be put off by the editorial staff's review. If your a die hard Chris Isaak fan, you know the whole cryin', lyin', dyin' schtick is what Chris does best, and that's just fine. The album's first single, "Let Me Down Easy" is great with a bit of a Sugar Ray beat. Other tracks like "Notice The Ring" and "Always Got Tonight" have a similar modern feel while maintaining the classic Isaak sound. All in all, it reminds me of "Forever Blue" with a modern edge. An excellent effort which will no doubt be my driving soundtrack for the next few months.