Jon Rademacher

If you're a big fan of the melodic guitars, catchy refrains, and a bit of the old style - this album is for you. There's plenty of the same synth activity that we saw from previous efforts like MANIA, but incorporated tastefully into this album rather than what felt like a huge departure from their style on the previous album. If you're looking for the instant "feel-good" tracks, you're looking for "Heartbreak Feels So Good," "I Am My Own Muse," "The Kintsugi Kid (Ten Years)," and "So Much (For) Stardust." They all have that recognizable sound which put them in the place that fans hold dear. The melodies and guitars on these tracks are very much in the same arena as title tracks like "Dance Dance," "Hum Hallelujah," "Thnks fr th mmrs," "Sugar, We're Goin Down," or even a song like, "I Don't Care." This album very much feels like a merge between some of their original content and some of the newer synth heavy stuff they have created but in a good way. The guitar and melody that made them such a hit take the center stage again but the synth add ins to songs on this new album definitely play a key part in completing the sound and making a solid transition. It's not something that will top "Infinity on High" for me but it's definitely in the territory of "From Under the Cork Tree" or "Folie a Deux." Very worthy of a listen but I will say that I hard protest their choice of the first single.