Recovering the Satellites

For their second album, , crafted a self-consciously challenging response to their unexpected success. Throughout the record, contemplates his loss of privacy and sudden change of fortunes, among other angst-ridden subjects. In one sense, it's no different from the subjects that dominated , yet his outlook is lacking the muted joy that made into a hit. Similarly, the music is slightly more somber, yet the approach is harder and more direct, which gives even the a more affecting, visceral feel. occasionally bogs down in its own pretentiousness -- for a band, the group certainly has a lot of artsy goals -- yet when they scale back their ambitions to simple , such as on the single they are at their most articulate. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine