It took
the Sundays
five years to deliver their third album,
Static & Silence
. Five years is a long time, especially in the quicksilver world of
pop
music, but
sound totally unbothered by their absence on
. Instead of sounding labored and forced, the album is gentle and effortless, as if it were recorded five months after
Blind
instead of five years. In some ways, that's a disappointment -- it would have been nice for the duo to show some progression, considering all of their time off -- but the record delivers the pleasant, endearing
jangle pop
that is
' signature sound. There's certainly nothing as catchy as
"Here's Where the Story Ends"
on
, and there aren't many songs that are instantly memorable, yet the album has a quiet charm that should satisfy most longtime fans. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine