It's been ten years since the last album, but for those in the know, it's hardly felt like a drought, as the group is merely a re-skinned version of ultra-prolific songwriter 's myriad other outlets, which include , , and . Originally conceived as a one-off collaboration between and popular DJ and ex- keyboardist , the addition of longtime collaborator in 2002 officially brought the group into 's indie pop empire, and with their heady blend of kitschy electro-pop and darkly funny, Brill Building-inspired tales of heartbreak, the trio really began to cook. 2013's finds and sharing lead vocals, with peppering the tracks with strategic blasts of Tiki-fueled ambiance. Light years more engaging than the previous year's offering, the oddly dumb and desperate , this 15-track set covers all of the usual subjects like smack-assisted suicide ("Let's Go to Sleep and Never Come Back"), booze ("Drink Nothing But Champagne"), the cruel necessity of sin ("Satan, Your Way Is a Hard One"), and of course, love and heartbreak ("Sadder Than the Moon"), all of which benefit from some of 's sharpest lyrics in years, which even at their most juvenile, as is the case with the outstanding "Keep Your Children in a Coma" ("You can't let them go to school for fear of bullying little beasts/and you can't take them to church for fear of priests"), retain the grumpy wisdom of a mellowing misanthrope. In fact, few songwriters can capture the bleak comedy of loneliness, bitterness, and the sheer helplessness that accompanies aging better than , and he does so here with great aplomb. ~ James Christopher Monger