Oh, sure, from the jump this album screams "21st century post-punk!" And, yes, it was recorded by the Faint's Kyle Petersen. But there is something more desperate, spooky and urgent in these songs. "Stars" breaks out of any expected mold with a dissonance that seems to warp out of the groove before coming back in with a markedly different flavor; "Night No Day," meanwhile, dispenses with any expected formula whatsoever with its moody phrasings. These songs don't serve as background music to hedonistic pursuits; more often, they resemble the scarier moments of the Dismemberment Plan's catalogue, with lyrics that tackle politics and personal crisis with unsentimental clarity. Indeed, the trappings of "dance punk" are here, but don't be fooled: This record is beautifully vicious.