Where 's self-titled debut otherwise failed to live up to the brilliance of its anti-anthem centerpiece the follow-up is a complete and fully realized statement of purpose -- opening with the dizzying the disc never lets up for a second, crackling with an energy and breathless abandon that underlines the sheer exuberance at the heart of even 's most superficially bitter songs. Although successfully channels the sound and spirit of punk's heyday, for all their whiplash guitars and spitfire rhythms 's songs derive their power not from nihilism and ennui but from optimism and passion -- implicit in 's lyrics is a belief in creation over destruction, hope over cynicism, and love over hate. Credit too 's no-frills recording for the live-wire snap and crackle of standouts like and -- for all its earthy simplicity and everyman conviction, positively soars. ~ Jason Ankeny