In the time between the release of their debut EP, , and their first full-length, , went from a three-piece to a seven-piece band. With the new lineup, the Santa Barbara group added layers of synthesizers, drum machines, and sequencers to their crunchy to make an American companion to 's or an alternate-universe follow-up to . , though lacking the consistently awe-inspiring forward thinking of and the rural grit of , is an impressive debut by any standard. While staying true to their roots ( , for example) on tracks like redefines the scope of the genre, much like , with spaced-out analog synth sounds. evokes -era with melancholy acoustic guitar strumming and a jaunty piano-and-string bit, is a cover, and complete with harmonica from of , goes from subtle, shimmering to an all-out epic. It's not a perfect record, but has managed to cross early-'70s with , and that's no small feat. ~ Charles Spano