Opener "Wow to the Deadness" is the perfect example of their effortless fusion. Part eerie campfire singalong, part bruised-up brawler, the song volleys from Taylor's exhortation to "let it slide to the other side" to Smith's ecstatic declaration, "We have a winner!" In "A Muse," Taylor plays another gloryhound clawing for his 15 minutes over acrid, clawing guitars. And "Wait Up Downstep" is a revved-up Boy Scout marching song, Smith alternating between mantra-like refrain and beautifully swooping verses. And "Nonchalant" has the same coiled intensity as the National, but feels more wounded, more restless.