One of the most striking things about ' was the tight grip they already had on their version of power pop. They'd traveled to the style from punk, psych-rock, and prog, exploring rock from all angles before boiling it down to the harmonies, handclaps, and jangly hooks they delivered precisely -- but not too studiously -- on their first album as a power pop act. To co-produce , the band recruited and of the , whose maximalist, chameleonic take on the style is almost diametrically opposed to ' back-to-basics approach. Working together, they meet somewhere in the middle: hits a sweet spot that adds just enough extras to light up its songs. The D'Addarios' harmonies help brings things to life on "Let's Watch a Movie" and "I'm Alright," where the -worthy backing vocals complete the retro mood. The rest of ' sound also gets a glossy upgrade on Pumping keyboards provide the perfect backdrop for their guitar solos, which soar even higher on songs such as "Down to the City" than they did on . And while are still mainly concerned with love's ups and downs and life's little joys -- "Hiding in My Home" sings the praises of eating takeout in the nude -- they branch out on tracks like "Intentions," which ponders the choices that must be made while growing up, and they challenge conformity on "Don't Wanna Be Like You." They also explore some more elaborate songcraft on Bassist balances some tricky chord changes with choruses that are pure power pop bliss on "Two Years," while guitarist gives "Somewhere to Fall" a strutting rhythm embellished with buzzy synths. That both songs deal with heartache and pride reflect just how tuned into each other are as songwriters, and the more unified feeling in ' world on this album. may be a tighter and brighter set of songs than , but it's just as much fun. ~ Heather Phares