This album has great lyrics, and some great moments in it, but overall, what I noticed the most about it other than the obvious deviation from the normal instrumentation, was that the songwriting was essentially the same as always. This would be all well and good if the songs were just...better. I was a huge fan of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, but this album just wasn't up to par. The first and last tracks on the album are very good, however, but the stuff in between just didn't do it for me for the most part.

This album in it's spectacular glory is by far the greatest Bright Eyes record i have ever heard. I can see why, for some people, this record may come across as abnormal and not meeting the par of his older work or even the acclaimed oposite, "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" Which was released at the same time. But I would beg people to give it some time and actualy listen to it before closing your mind to this clearly beutiful, expirimental record. It is truly best described as a seemingly endless, heavenly, beutiful marathon of electronic-emo bliss. These songs are crafted and structured so timingly and creative, and the melodies never touched or thought of by anyone before. Connor's witty, deep and slighty depressing lyrics meld togather perfectly with the brilliantly produced, processed sound that makes up the record. I wish more people shared the same opinion as me, but i can only state what i think and nothing else. I ask you to look at these songs artisticly and creativly because they are indeed genious. My favorate track would have to be "Hit The Switch" because the song craft and lyrics are beutiful and heartfelt. He really makes you feel his pain as he expresses his anxiety riddled expiriences and drinking problems all set to a killer wave of powerful drums, electric pianos, creative bass riffs and ever changing perfectly flawed guitar. Other outstanding songs on this record are "Ship in a Bottle" and "Devil in the Details". Both containing the witty brilliant lyrics we expect from this amazing songwriter. So, in the end, i advise people who cant stand the extra noise such as static, "beeps" and old keyboard synth sounds to listen to the true beuty behind this record and feel his beutiful natural pain he put into this amazingly splended masterpiece. Great job Conner. It deserves more than 5 stars.

This collection has the taint of the throwaway about it...it's clear these songs weren't labored over to the exent those on "Wide Awake" were - there is not the same level of craft here, which the elaborate arrangements and synth treatments are not quite up to the job of hiding....skip this and go straight to "Wide Awake"...