Lead by Kurt Wagner (he’s the singer), they do whatever they want. If they want to be sincere, they will. If they choose to be silly, they can do that as well.
The album starts off quietly. You barely notice that they have begun. Although the mood changes throughout the album, you still notice the large sound. That’s due to the 16 or so players. Kurt’s idea is that each person contributes just enough, like a chamber pop orchestra.
Hints of country line the album. This is hinted at in the lyrics like receiving a call from the overweight Garth Brooks, who would give him a hundred thousand dollars, just to go “the fuck away” (from “Garf”). Few people can pull off that line with the dry wit needed to make that truly hysterical.
Unlike most albums, where I can pick up a favorite, it really works well as a whole. It is rare to have an album that encompasses joy, sadness, regret, embarrassment, etc. Pretty much you can listen to this no matter what mood you’re in and get something different from it each time. More country bands could learn from these guys and perhaps take themselves a little less seriously.