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...Teen Dream” is a painstakingly crafted wonder. When Legrand’s voice rings out on exaggerated vowels, the music follows suit, sweeping the listener along in a daze. “Used to Be,” a rerecorded version of the track that first appeared on a 2008 single release, exemplifies this fuller sound unique to “Teen Dream.” An upbeat piano ballad of sorts, its poetic unanswered questions address the pangs of growing apart. On this and other tracks, the emotional core of the song is consistently detectable...
...Norway” is the most dreamy of all, with fairy tale imagery and singing so soft it’s almost like Legrand is gasping for air. “Lover of Mine” is the most instantly accessible track on the album, where the starlight sounds are only slightly offset by the deepness of Legrand’s voice. “10 Mile Stereo,” a late album highlight, follows suit with an uncertain organ and a quick, almost Postal Service-esque beat...
...Love Forever?” takes a more existential approach to love lost. “When I’m older, start to wonder, was that love or instinct working? / Have I even felt it ever?” Daniel asks on one vocal track, while its counterpart screams over staccato guitar chords...
This is immediately followed by “200-102,” a daringly minimalist instrumental leading into “Straight in at 101.” “101” is a bitter, deeply uncomfortable track chronicling an empty relationship in typically adjective-laden fashion. It hints at the vivid humor that characterized earlier songs—“I think we need more post-coital and less post-rock / Feels like the build up takes forever, but you never get me off”—yet by the end Gareth still...
Book-ending the more challenging center of the album are three tracks that cleave closer to the pop sensibility of debut “Hold On Now, Youngster.” Whether they’re the most interesting songs on “Romance is Boring” or not is up for debate, but singles “There Are Listed Buildings” and “Romance is Boring,” as well as blogosphere hit “The Sea is a Good Place To Think of the Future” show the band...