The Way and Color
was a promising album, in both senses of the word: it built on
In Limbo
's potential with heady songs about the first blush of love and lust. On
Love Yes
,
TEEN
deliver on those promises in unexpected ways, exploring the real-life consequences of romantic fantasies. Though the band's experimental mix of R&B, synth pop, and indie rock sounds almost as alluring as it did on
' subject matter is often anything but. "Tokyo" begins the album with a portrait of a bored husband in search of "younger skin"; from there,
sink their teeth into all kinds of difficult choices and situations, from the guilt-laden '80s slow jam "Another Man's Woman" to "Example"'s frosty hypocrisy to the overpowering longing and jealousy of "Gone for Good." These complex emotions are a perfect match for
's fondness for complex arrangements, making for one-of-a-kind songs like "Animal," which sounds equally feral and self-aware in its mix of noisy keyboards and sweet vocals. As on
' uptempo songs are the most immediately winning. The brash, jabbing "All About Us" tells off a passive-aggressive "nice" guy with electrifying results, while "Free Time"'s teasing hooks and brassy, psychedelic coda balance
's pop and experimental leanings perfectly. Occasionally, the band's ambitious musicianship overwhelms these songs, but
proves itself a worthy sequel to
. Equally sensual and challenging, it's the work of a band capable of commitment as well as grand gestures. ~ Heather Phares