After a particularly unhinged early phase, experimental genre-bending indie group showed slights signs of mellowing. Led by wild-eyed songwriter/singer/instrumentalist , the band yowled and hooted through their early albums with a feral energy borrowed from and then embellished with cabaret theatrics. There are still hints of that early wildness on sixth album , but funnel their ferociousness into far more accessible pop forms here. This isn't a completely new direction. and crew have been cleaning their act up incrementally since 2011's , and in the time between albums even made a solo record of children's music. The songs are served well by more polished production, tunes like "On the Mend" and album standout "Future Peg" molding the band's unbridled energy into pop structures that would sit well on commercial FM rock radio play lists. The melodies are clear and neatly presented without neutering the group's signature chaos or adventurous arrangements. 's genre-flipping essence is still apparent in the slinky cabaret groove of "Goat" or the loungy jazz touches of "Unsweet Meat." Even the explosive noisy introduction of "Cloud Nein" fades into a feel-good piano pop tune that's catchier than anything the band have ever done before. continues the turn towards hooks that began exploring years ago, and like those earlier records it retains the band's spirit while embracing more accessible songwriting. Even with the more tuneful tracks, the album has enough bizarre lyrical imagery, unexpected outbursts, and general freakiness to keep from losing the weirdness they built their sound on. ~ Fred Thomas