The Prince is Back is a bit slower than most of the others. It has a more simple beat with electronic elements thrown in. Those beats and sounds, textures and grooves give the song a bit of a bounce. Another cool element is a descending bottle sound. (sorry for no better description, but when a group uses this much electronics it’s tough to know what exactly the sounds are.)

Xylophobia immediately kicks in. That’s right, a song about the irrational fear of wood. This is interesting because my wife cannot touch untreated wood, so I kind of get this. This one is a slow burner. The opening verse is very clever. I love the word usage here and making wood menacing:

The wood worrier worries
That table leg, a mitred threat
The bookshelf with anxious grain
The paneling, rare rampage
A fence post turned to fear
A pencil, all hex shape malnutrition
It’s Thermidor’s law, they promise it grows back
But worse than before

Eventually the song picks up the pace, quickening the drum fills and synth bits. This song has a great groove.

The album ends with Forest of Your Problems Outro. The song works around a simple beat throughout its entirety. Honestly, the album would have worked better for me had it ended with Xylophobia.

I’m glad I asked for suggestions or I would not have found Snapped Ankles. The two instrumentals are basically filler for me, but the other songs are vibrant and bring something interesting. The lyrics are sharp and the vocals lean toward a punk feel that I really enjoy. This record is unique and worth a listen. Make sure you check it out.

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