seem to vacillate between two extremes. At one end, they portray a kind of raw yet delicate brand of , at the other, a concoction of dense and gritty . Not that they sound like two different bands; it's just that their polarized approach to songwriting and production leaves almost no middle ground to be found on their recordings. This isn't a bad thing, though, especially when they do both extremes so well. finds the Missouri quintet in top bipolar form and serves up a heady blend of , seasoned with bits of pastoral quirkiness and muscle. band comparisons are inevitable, but don't overlook the influence of more polished groups like or -- they're in there too, issuing faintly through prewar radio equipment. embrace imperfection with -like abandon, but never use it as a gimmick -- a case in point being ' warbly vocal stylings that exist somewhere between the breathy angst of and the naked squawk of 's . is a man unafraid to crack a note and unashamed of putting actual human feeling behind a lyric. The result is effectively affective, especially on the album's standout track, where doesn't just sing the song, he haunts it. ~ J. Scott McClintock