With their second album, , deliver on the left-field they crafted on , both expanding on some of their artier tendencies and keeping the playful, hooky songwriting that made their debut so refreshing. And while has an aptly lush sound thanks to and , the group's inherent, slightly awkward earnestness shines through at every turn. It's an intriguing contrast, particularly on the album's more experimental moments -- sounds like a pocket-sized epic, complete with a prelude, spacy keyboards, breathy backing vocals, and slightly embarrassing lyrics ("Drink mother's milk and be free!"), but the band pulls it off through sheer guilelessness and talent. The similarly -influenced album closers, don't fare quite as well, if only because the rest of is so solid. The sweet harmonies and playful keyboards on sound like what should've gone for on their second album, while driving songs like are two of 's finest rockers. Throw in the sweetly folky shapes up as a diverse, accomplished album that manages to be unabashedly emotional, playful, and ambitious all at the same time. ~ Heather Phares