Whereas the meekness and transparent tunes worked as a strength on Next Thing, here it's just straight tepid. If anything the tunes are beefier, more oft upbeat; but also perpetually in a mid-pace safe zone. Polite band-in-a-room pleasant and not without its intimate yet guarded charm, but this just refuses to thrill. Potential downfalls may be median song lengths of 1:50 and the oh so monotonously modest vox.
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