Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's self-released debut album defied the odds and became 2005's biggest indie success story, and their 2007 follow-up was one of the most anticipated releases of the year. SOME LOUD THUNDER was once again released by the band; however, the production values and overall musical scope took a clear step forward. The band brought in studio guru Dave Friedman to flesh out the sound and give a more robust sheen to a group that previously captivated with its lo-fi charms.

Luckily, this doesn't undermine that very charm. Frontman Alec Ounsworth still wraps his simple pop confections in eclectic instrumentation and recording trickery. The album begins with a seemingly simple tune made weird by its caked-on, over-heated speaker crackle, while "Satan Said Dance" rides a maelstrom of electronic beats, pops, and hisses straight to the world's most twisted dance floor. Ounsworth still sounds like a more emo David Byrne signing for his life, which, though sometimes overly dramatic, is in fact the only constant on this otherwise warped, glorious mess of a pop album.