Change

A minimalist cover is what this new sound is presented under: darker, colder, moodier. The opening swirl of "Sentimental Man" sets the tone of this album immediately. This is the night to E&I's day.

It's evident throughout the tracks sequenced to create this masterpiece. The ironic acknowledgement of agency on "Superpowers" is the perfect foil to the powerlessness hammered home on "Come Home." Repeated pleas for forgiveness on "Secret Curse" contain all the impact that the cool disposition on "The Face of the Earth" lacks: his life is always up in the air and never rooted, but he doesn't mind. This album contradicts itself and the band's prior work while narrowing its focus and refining the music within: all a product of change. "Automatic" has a somber melody with themes that recall "Memory Machine" on the last LP.

Stepping back from everything, this album follows through with the promise written on the front cover from the first track to the last. A fair amount of these tracks transition between each other, giving the entire work a smooth flow not present on E&I that helps to keep up the reflective atmosphere covering the entire thing. They really dialed up the relatability in my eyes. We've all been down these roads before; this is one of the best auditory recreations of those feelings I've ever heard. Full of dichotomies, the 11 songs here are both uplifting and pessimistic, both excited and disconnected, both chill and hectic.

"I am a time bomb, and I only live in that one moment you die." Much like death, change is inevitable... and Change is spectacular.