Unexpectedly, this follow-up to the impressive For Your Own Special Sweetheart may be even better than its predecessor, as the major label hasn't diminished the blazing riffs in "Mirrorful"****, and interesting harmonies don't make this track or "Livid" any less sharp. The DC punk roots show up throughout, as in the angular riffs and frantic drums of "His Only Trade"****. "Iodine"**** employs more restrained pace and volume, which may make the phrase "say it like you mean it boy shut your mouth until you can" exponentially more intense, while the goofily swooning guitars counterpointing the lines "take the big man down, fork tie, chump crown" thankfully lighten the mood in "Chinese Fork Tie"****. Not every song is distinctive as the first five; "Excandescent" and "Spoiler" anchor the middle of the album with the most upbeat radio-friendly tracks, and a couple requisite slow grinds ("Desert Sea" and "Absenter") bog down the side a bit. However, the "Mule/Stall"-"Nickle, Nickle Millionaire" pairing are two of the most busy and angular tracks, and taking this direction up a notch, rhythm-section heavy "Empire Of One" builds to an early-Santana fanfare in a unique moment. But in contention for the best song is the cover of Tori Amos' "Cornflake Girl"**** (hidden at the end of "Absenter", playing up the heaviness of the original with satisfying crunch.
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