Three tracks in I suspected greatness, but a short time later it was obvious this is a Duran Duran album. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Duran Duran have never been accused of putting together masterful album-length works. However, they have a track record of undeniably catchy singles, some of which are classics in their sheer audacity. Astronaut, the first album by the full classic lineup of the band in almost 20 years, revisits both the glory and the pain that is the musical world of Duran Duran.

Astronaut kicks off in high gear with the band's current single "(Reach Up For the) Sunrise." Destined to be one of the great album openers, it's an irresistible Pop-Dance blend with just enough electronics to bring Duran Duran into the present. Producer Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Good Charlotte, Sugar Ray) provides a contemporary sheen that, for the most part, is flattering to the band's sound. He gets the band to rock convincingly on the second track "Want You More!" and stretch out in a sinuous midtempo mode with "What Happens Tomorrow."

Then...things start to slow down. Duran Duran has often been at their best when they reach for a type of artsy breakthrough and end up with a somewhat silly but quirky enough to be interesting pop hit. "The Reflex," "Union Of the Snake," and "Wild Boys" come to mind. Unfortunately, on the title track here we end up with aimless silliness. Name-dropping X-Ray Spex just isn't enough.

Much of the rest of the album gets caught up in obtuse lyrics or musical blandness. "One Of These Days" wraps itself in current mainstream rock instrumentation that makes Simon Le Bon sound like just another faceless vocalist. "Taste the Summer" works reasonably well as a summery pop song and "Bedroom Toys" rips off Robbie Williams' sound for a cute, naughty track, but the rest of the album fails to gain traction to excite the listener or be memorable. So we're left with a formula all too typical for a Duran Duran album...a few arresting Pop hits and a fair amount of sub-standard filler.

In today's download-fueled music market, it is possible to concentrate on the tracks that are winners, and I welcome Duran Duran's return for those. "(Reach Up For the) Sunrise" does rank with their best. It's already on the radio, and I expect it to enter clubs soon with newly released remixes. There's enough here for a few follow-up radio hits and more than enough life to justify the band's return...but don't expect an album masterpiece. Duran Duran isn't that type of band.