Powder Burns

Powder Burns strikes an immediate impression; songs like "There's Been An Accident", "Underneath The Waves" and "Forty Dollars" display Dulli's songwriting perfectly; his lyrics - morose and uplifting in equal quantities - are complicated by his salient vocals. Dulli lets loose his spiraling guitars and string-driven orchestration. Beautifully arranged, the intricate production never gets the better of the songs themselves, always taking a back seat to the sentiment of the lyrics and Dulli's swelling melodies. There's no doubting the emotion in these songs.