Brooklyn band began as the bedroom recording project of former bassist and grew from the -channeling lo-fi Celtic folk-punk of their 2008 debut, , into a far darker and more refined beast by the time of 2012's standout album . That record found and his cast of various collaborators delivering austere neo-folk somewhere between the Celtic rave-ups of their beginnings and the grim acoustic dirges of . is yet another large step forward, though tread more or less the same sonic territory they have been exploring for a while. This time around, however, is joined on every track by a fully realized lineup of the band, where on previous albums the membership was a little more mercurial. Guitarist adds sharp, post- leads to pseudo-goth rockers like "God's Garden" and "Empty Faction," while drummer/percussionist plays tight post-industrial rhythms or trashy kitchen-sink percussion (the recording is fabled to include the use of human bones in the percussion tracks on some songs) on tracks like "Sanctuary." While remain a massive landmark for 's influences, notably on drawn-out acoustic mediations like "Of Amber" and the dark and lovely closer "Roses," nods are also made to the junkyard attitude of , lesser-known shadow lurkers like , and even unlikely early post-hardcore bands like and . The inclusion of full-time cellist adds the touch of ghostly ambience that solidifies the most rocking tracks and emblemizes the more restrained ones. The main successes of come with its more complex arrangements as well as more nuanced and exacting performances. Whether raging in an antagonistic tirade or simmering in cavernous folk stillness, the band has never sounded more deliberate or driven. ~ Fred Thomas