Which is an extremely good thing. For the uninitiated, the music is an incredibly slick and stylish electronica unlike any electronica one has heard before. The keyboards are sickeningly sweet and drum beats are thin and completely artificial sounding. The artifice is an essential ingredient to their blend. Shades of 80s techno-pop are definitely present, but present as someone remembering the 80s inaccurately.
Nothing sounds retro in any way.
Part of this may be Merritt's lyrics and vocal melodies which sweep over every sugary beep and whirr with anachronistic grandness. The title track is easily the most memorable song. Its surging techno pace and Merritt's melancholic voice transport it to the heights of Merritt's greatest work with the Magnetic Fields. Claudia Gonson sings this version and the tension between her voice and the electronic squeaks, blips and beeps trying to deconstruct the piano melody in the background keeps one's ears active. Merritt and crew have clearly seen the greatness of this song and continue to experiment around it.