This follow-up and/or sequel to 2007’s The Stage Names, sees Will Sheff and co continuing their depiction of the life, loves and general mores of a set of musicians and their adherents and hangers-on that one suspects are not a million miles removed from their actual selves.
This is the kind of detailed and intelligent lyrical fare that you would expect from this band. Leaving aside the three very brief instrumental interludes ‘Stand Ins, One’, ‘Stand Ins, Two’ and ‘Stand Ins, Three’ - largely superfluous although I guess lending a certain cinematic feel to the overall flow of the album - the themes that they pick to sing about are less remarkable than the perspective, depth and intelligence with which they are depicted.
