This album was slammed quite a bit by the media, undeservedly so. Perhaps it was an issue of the label/band pushing the wrong singles (opting for Maniac and Same Mistake, instead of the far superior Yesterday, Never), or perhaps this is just a band critics love to hate. Alec has a transparent disdain for the music machine (and, some would argue, his fans) which makes them a hard band to really get behind at times. But I thought this was a great rebound from their uneven and overreaching second album, Some Loud Thunder. Hooks are abundant, the album flows well, and Alec's voice even seems to be less strained.
While not their strongest material, the album opens with four solid pop songs before reaching the album's highlight, Into Your Alien Arms, which begins an excellent three-song run culminating in the aforementioned Yesterday, Never. If this ends up being the last album CYHSY records (I was frankly surprised Hysterical even happened, given Alec's solo/side project activity in 2009), it'll go down as a solid, if not misunderstood, swan song.
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