Audima are one of those bands with a penchant for extra-long song titles. In this case, though, it actually makes sense for them to be lengthy; following the album title's lead, they're in dictionary-entry format ("To Express Unhappiness about Something", "The Quality of Being Modest or Respectful"). However, these definitions are quite in-depth, and in many cases convey perfectly the feeling of the track they're referring to -- which is more than I can say for Webster's most of the time. While I don't like to throw around the "concept album" label, it fits Definition; the songs run along a fairly well-defined track, journeying through those levels of introspection most often brought on by large quantities of pot and spare time. I don't mean to imply that the songs are incoherent or unintelligent; they just follow a rambling course through the deeper channels of the mind. As anyone who chooses scenic routes over expressways can tell you, though, the rewards of straying from the beaten track usually compensate for getting lost a few times.

Frontman John Woodruff writes self-absorbed lyrics, but about things that most thoughtful (if introverted) people have considered at length. Autonomy versus emotional dependence upon others is a central theme here. "Why do I fear the thought of isolation / No aid / My strength it is derived from others / My crutch / Fear or just a lack of confidence," from "Feelings of Doubt About Your Own Self-Worth and Abilities", touches a nerve sensitive in most -- the deep-down dread that you aren't good enough company for yourself or anyone else. It's one of the album's best songs, moving away from the whitebread coffeehouse jazz in which Audima occasionally indulge, toward an intense indie shamble. A fuzzy but penetrating bass line drives the song, with simple but soulful guitar leads setting off the melody. Woodruff's unvarnished voice goes well with his direct words; his vocals aren't particularly impressive, but he sings properly, refrains from using an annoying indie-boy whine and gets his point across.

Audima have a talent for packing epic songs into spaces shorter than seven minutes -- their titles are the only unwieldy thing about their music. The structure of "A Difficult Situation that will Provide Information About Somebody" isn't unconventional -- verse, chorus and bridge are all represented -- but the way they're assembled and played makes the song seem much more complex. The tweaked-out guitar jam at the beginning morphs into the verse's driving rhythm; the chorus blows the song wide open with its lush harmonies. The beat drops out in the bridge, making room for a multitude of vocal overlays. The seamless transition into the math-rock rhythms of "To Try Very Hard to Deal with a Challenge" fuses the two tracks into one, increasing the "epic" feeling.

"The Quality of Being Modest or Respectful" is Definition's closer -- a quiet start that escalates to a rousing yet contemplative pitch. It gives the disc a loose sense of closure, and restates some of its main themes, but doesn't come to any concrete conclusions, except that "I'll live in each moment and I'll question and I'll ponder". Words to live by.