Jackrabbit

Where San Fermin felt like an ornate masterpiece intricately assembled in a lab somewhere, Jackrabbit has the sound of amplified confidence and enhanced group playing that comes from nightly live performance.

Jackrabbit isn't as smooth as its older brother: it's a heavier record, and demands more from the listener.

His predilection for marrying sublime pop melodies to bombastic arrangements laced with classical avant-garde flourishes has reached a new level of focus, and, resultantly, potency, on Jackrabbit.

While Jackrabbit is a strong entry into the chamber pop genre, it is almost too pretty for its own good.

Jackrabbit is still a potent and evocative listening experience, even if it strongly recalls memories of even more potent and evocative listening experiences by other bands.

Using a second album to slowly build and improve an already vastly promising sound - instead of attempting an erratic reinvention - is something Ludwig-Leone should be commended for.

The wearying volume of Jackrabbit is the most taxing aspect of a record that already arrives intentionally overstuffed.