If are going to suffer inevitable comparisons to groups like and, to an extent, and other similarly minded call-and-response singalong-grandly indie rock types, then that's the nature of the business and the context they're in -- the solution is to keep at it as best as they can. Which they do -- if is primed and set for certain listening expectations, they're still fulfilled enjoyably enough. The lead vocals of husband-and-wife team and perhaps even more inevitably call to mind, but their singing is less mega-theatrical and more cabaret dramatic in a sly sense; set against moments like the shuddering lounge groove on the verses of the effect can be very enjoyable. Meanwhile, the hyperactive arrangements often show an appreciation for late-'60s pop ( is a fine example) rather than epic post-punk, with groovy horn charts and the like giving a more playful edge to the proceedings. Still, this is ultimately an album that is catnip to those favoring a general sound and approach and otherwise will pass the time for most anyone else -- no bad thing, yet nothing remarkable either. ~ Ned Raggett