Chicago's Friko worked with producer John Congleton for this second album, and the result pushes past the indie rock template of their debut. There's noise rock abrasion here, stretched-out ballads that nod to seventies orchestral arrangements, and moments where things tilt toward avant-garde classical textures. The band leans into dissonance and sprawl without losing the melodic core that got them attention first time around.
Tracks like "Hot Air Balloon" and the title piece show a group willing to let songs unspool rather than resolve neatly. Guitars scrape and feedback, strings come in at odd angles, and the production leaves space for things to sound unfinished or deliberately awkward. It's less polished than the debut, more interested in tension than release. "Choo Choo" and "Alice" keep some of the power pop hooks intact, but even those feel rougher, less concerned with radio logic.
This is for people who liked the first record but wanted it weirder, or anyone drawn to bands that treat the second album as a chance to complicate things. Available on vinyl, CD, and lossless digital.
