Indie rockers abruptly went from a quintet to a duo in 2013 when , , and left the band, but founding members and opted to move forward with the recording of their next album, and persuaded their former bandmates to help them complete the project before moving on for good. It's fitting that finds in a transitional period, moving away from their formal punk and emo influences into a more streamlined sound as become the act's dominant creative voices. Musically, is a more polished and pop-oriented album than most of 's previous work, but the core of their melodic style has changed little, and the moody urgency of the lyrics is as strong as ever. ~ Mark Deming