After more than a decade with , still sounds young and weird and searching, and never more so than on , which follows the band's meditative with a set of songs that are more focused, but also less obviously profound. The occasionally indulgent feel of allowed the room to make epic statements about life, death, and the afterlife; while is equally concerned with mortality and spirituality, it has a more active, immediate feel that makes its comments on these subjects that much more pointed. The band hits these points home with a louder, more -oriented sound than they've had since , particularly on which embodies many of the contradictions that continue to make fascinating. For a song loosely about contemplating death, it sounds strikingly vital and liberated; delivers finely shaded lyrics like "We are hummingbirds who've lost the plot and we will not move" with a barbaric yawp; it's nonsensical but oddly climactic, conveying how what seems trivial can be anything but. 's angular bassline and scratchy guitars underscore the influence on , but since have become a more trendy touchstone (mostly for bands with less creativity than either or ), it's nice to hear how and company take that influence in a different direction instead of just rehashing it with less inspiration. Feeling stuck is a major theme on , but the same can't be said about the album's sound, which spans the forceful of the aforementioned songs, to the pretty of and to the lovely, rustic That's not even mentioning the contributions of , who open with the aptly named They also add a theatrical jolt to the wickedly funny, -inspired which along with the noisy stomp of 's witty self-loathing, underscore that haven't lost the edge that made the band compelling in the first place. Other standouts include a creatively creepy mix of rattling - with a beat that nods to the group's backwater roots; an unusually open and straightforward ; and the dreamlike on which sings, "I like songs about drifters -- books about the same/They both seem to make me feel a little less insane," once again proving that he's a past master of lyrics that are both abstract and precise. Even though this album isn't as immediately or showily brilliant as reveals itself as just as strong a statement. By drawing an even sharper contrast between the harsh and beautiful things about their music, as well as life, have made an album that's moving and relevant without being pretentious about it. ~ Heather Phares