Sanford Arms, who hail from the slightly faded indie-music mecca of Seattle, have arranged twelve bittersweet pop songs that will touch you without being too self-indulgent or loud. Led by former Alcohol Funnycar driver Ben London, the group stands on the border of emo-land, but is a tad less extreme than most bands of that genre. While this is bound to frustrate some listeners, it gives the music a pleasantly tucked-in feel; instead of opting for the heart-piercing screams favored by 764-Hero or an all-too-heavy chord like Sunny Day Real Estate, Sanford Arms keep their songs and steady and melodic.

Many of these songs, particularly from the album's first half, feature slow and simple background music, led by London's dreamy, sometimes sighing voice. He sings of those days and nights when you feel that something's wrong, or at least a little bit "off", but you can't really tell what it is that's bothering you. Take, for example, this lyric from "Ohio Summer's End": "The silence is uncomfortable, for someone who likes to speak... 3:00 in the morning, or 3:00 in the afternoon, I felt like someone else." Consider also this snippet from the opener, "Smolder": "Today I feel older, I'm like a birthday whose candles smolder..." They're speculations, self-analytical; after a couple of "I shoulda"s and "I just"s, London speaks to the listener and -- especially in "Permanent Wires" -- seems to be giving advice in a casual conversation: "Don't ya ever let it show."

The songs speed up a bit at the disc's midpoint, then slow down for a sedate conclusion. The album ends with "The Grand Escape", in which all of London's songwriting elements come together perfectly. As if lost in thought, London ends every line of the song's final verse with "Away, away." There's a brief, explosive guitar solo, and then the album fades out, leaving you wanting more. Lots more.