Reflecting their newly streamlined status as a duo, 's strips their luminous down to its barest essence. Initially, the album is a shock, and not always a pleasant one; many fans have come to expect each release as a chance to be blown away by the group's ever-bigger and better sounds, and from their early EPs to the ornate , seemed to challenge themselves by adding more layers and twists and turns to their music. Here, and push themselves to do more with much less. The pruning ends up being prudent; concentrating on just a few musical motifs, has a uniquely fresh, modern feel. Sparingly applied beats, intricate but subtle guitars, and hazy synths dominate the album, providing a restrained backdrop for 's quietly commanding voice and crossword-puzzle lyrics. As if to underscore 's new aesthetic, opens with some of its most radical departures: 's largely spoken vocals and driving bassline, 's austere pulse, and the title track's whispery, sinister sensuality all stretch (or rather, shrink) the boundaries of what a song can be. At first, these tracks just sound unfinished, but the beauty of their bareness reveals itself eventually. Not all of is this naked. The single (which somehow manages to play into and dismiss the mythic American soldier at the same time) and 's stargazing are a little more fleshed out, nodding to the full, swirling sound of 's earlier work without rehashing it. Likewise, offer a more colorful, charming spin on the band's new approach. Still, ' most restrained moments are often most striking: plays like a delicately surreal update of 's spacy - , while the absolutely stunning vignette makes the most of an acoustic guitar and 's gorgeous vocals and evocative songwriting skills. Oddly enough, ' simplicity makes it more demanding than 's other work; it requires more than just a few listens to sink in. However, the tension between 's catchy and aloof, experimental sides is what makes their music intriguing, and is no different in that regard: even when it seems to be stripped bare, it's still full of mystery. ~ Heather Phares