Have Silverchair jumped the shark?

The new Silverchair album Young Modern has been met with much adulation and four-to-five star reviews from music critics.

This self-confessed critic has a different point of view on their first album in five years - it isn't very good. And that's a shame for me because I do own all their CDs, from 1995s Frogstomp.

The biggest disappointment for me is that, after a couple of listens, I can't find a song I like more than the single `Straight Lines', which has been number one on the Australian charts for four weeks so far.

It took me a while to warm to Straight Lines and I'd say I'm warm on it but that's about it. The song has a reasonable message in there among some pretty dodgy lyrics. The indulgent Those Thieving Birds/Strange Behaviour double has its moments but I'm really struggling to find highlights.

Musically the album has no guts, like the previous albums Diorama and Neon Ballroom, and Daniel Johns' singing is very strange.

I've tried really hard to like Young Modern, given it time to try and let it grow on me but it hasn't and I don't see where all the praise is coming from. It makes me think of that old TV analogy of when a show passes its best.

I'm beginning to think that Silverchair may have jumped the shark and there may be no going back. I hope I am wrong, really I do.