Yes you are correct about it being Patton's attempt at a pop album, the quote says, ""I don't listen to the radio, but if I did, this is what I'd want it to sound like, This is my version of pop music. In a way, this is an exercise for me: taking all these things I've learned over the years and putting them into a pop format."
I've read some professional reviews and have been a little surprised by the extreme differences in some. I guess for some people it's an album you either really like or you really don't.