Honestly I don't blame them for playing it safe. If they hadn't there'd be so much backlash like "OMG U RUINZ THE BEATLES" or "THIS IS NOTHING LIKE THE ORIGINAL". I'd rather have "it's pretty good but a little safe" over that.
Everyone is bitching about it being "safe". I think it's pretty cool to hear them mimicking that retro production sound, in contrast to their usual polished rock sound. So, it's safe in the fact that sounds like the original, but so far from how MCS usually sounds, I think it's awesome.