followed up their platinum-selling pop breakthrough in typically perverse fashion: presents a band seemingly aghast at being pegged as a novelty act by some of their own satirical targets. Apparently deciding -- admittedly, not without reason -- that America's comprehension of irony was sorely lacking, largely abandons its sense of absurdity on , explicitly stating their cultural views and at times calling attention (as with the otherwise terrific single ) to their already obvious sarcasm, in case anyone missed the point. The problem was, 's cult wasn't missing the point, and with all their quirky trappings, the band was hardly likely to reach most of their newfound pop audience by making their message more straightforward. Still, despite some heavy-handedness, is hardly a total failure. The opener actually benefits from the new outlook, making for a clear and effective statement of purpose. It sets the stage for some of 's angriest, most embittered songs, which often function as connections between new wave and the punk attitudes that were so crucial in its creation. might have pulled it off if their songwriting hadn't also begun to slip -- too many tracks end up flat-out unmemorable. They try a couple new things arrangement-wise (adding more electronic percussion), but nothing that drastically overhauls their minimalist synth-pop, and that lack of variety is more glaring when paired with the melodic deficiencies. ' repetition of musical and lyrical ideas foreshadows the band's decline, but really, at least half of the album is worthwhile. It just doesn't quite recapture the inventiveness or pointed humor of its predecessors. ~ Steve Huey