On , ' follow-up to their excellent debut, , the group cements its reputation as a seafaring or a more grounded . Tying together sweet symphonic with a ragtag theatricality, this album is more ambitious and more scattered than , making it an initially less accessible and more difficult listen. However, many of 's most indulgent moments are among its best, including the high drama of the album opener, an epic that runs with the dark beauty that haunted the corners of ' debut and gives it a wild, rambling edge. Likewise, also displays the band's expertise at creating subtle but palpable drama and swooning romanticism with just a few musical brush strokes. The wonderfully named a triumphantly bittersweet song for the inner drama queen in everyone, shows off 's uniquely expressive voice: at one moment he's lispingly fey; the next, he's sneering self-deprecatingly. These beautiful, challenging songs make the band's occasional dips into treacle, such as the cloying forgivable, but what makes such a solid album is the consistent quality of the songs pitched between its high and low points. flirts with , coming across as a latter-day single from ; is an intimately and creatively detailed love song; and has a sunny, winning appeal. Even though isn't quite as striking and full-formed as , it's still a consistently charming album that finds the band coming into its own. ~ Heather Phares