With its combination of laid-back acoustics and psychedelic mumblings, is a soundtrack for lazy, hazy summer days. have trod this path before, coloring their avant-garde pop songs with banjos, homespun percussion, rickety harmonies, and other elements of folk music. Like the albums that preceded it, is similarly earthy and sepia-toned, but its 13 tracks also hint at the band's maturing ability to write a concise, clear-cut hook. Where mood once reigned supreme, melody now resides, sharing equal space with the lo-fi polish that coats all albums. combines British Invasion-styled whimsy with a syrup-slow tempo, bounces along unapologetically, and eschews vocals entirely, relying on swirling organ and interwoven guitar lines to evoke a blissed-out, pastoral landscape. As before, founders and are the album's chief architects, co-writing all the songs and handling multiple instruments in the process. also makes an appearance, having previously collaborated with the group during 2006's , and vocalist lends her voice to a harmony-laden lullaby strengthened by a welcomely out of tune piano. may be too well crafted for the band's traditional-leaning fans, but its highlights are hard to resist. ~ Andrew Leahey