The Midwest can be an unforgiving place. The winters are freezing, the summers are humid, and it's easy to feel landlocked by the vastness of earth in every direction. Chicago's Chin Up Chin Up (think optimism, not exercise) have successfully embodied that feeling with their second full-length; yet as bleak as things may appear, there's a pervasive feeling of hope inherent in the band's brand of avant pop which stretches further than the Windy City's skyline. Tragically, original bassist Chris Saathoff was struck by a car and killed before their first album (We Should Have Never Lived Like Skyscrapers) was finished, so this release is a transitional record both metaphorically and literally. It takes its cues from Skyscrapers but ups the ante considerably, weaving hyper-literate songcraft with a new sense of melody and wit.