With 's fourth album, , the San Francisco-based trio channeled their chaotic tendencies into actual songs without losing much, if any, of their playful absurdity and pummeling energy. Like fronting , combines avant wordplay with bluesy, punked-out , with vocalist teetering between inviting whispers and a patience-testing falsetto. Not light listening by any stretch, but the album's loud-soft dynamic is easily digested after a few listens. From the quiet yet brooding meditation of and to the all-out sonic mayhem of is a well-paced and adventurous collection. Maybe not as successful as , but certainly a close second. ~ Jason Nickey