After the relatively straightforward of , moved back toward stranger, edgier territory with . Actually, that's only part of the truth. As the title suggests, there's a vast array of textures and emotions on , from the woozy lounge horns of to the perfect and the monolithic dirge of In between the extremes, and -- which now feature a radically reworked lineup, with several key players from now missing -- explore some simpler territory, from contemplative acoustic numbers tinged with strings to swooning . But what ties it all together is conviction -- sounds more content than he ever has, but he sings with more passion than he has for a number of years. Of course, haven't significantly changed their sound -- tinny synthesizers and guitar effects that haven't appeared on an album since 1988 are in abundance throughout the record -- but the variety of sounds and strength of performance offers enough surprises to make more than just another record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine