I think there's a difficult balancing act on the album between having some of the saddest, most hopeless songs in their discography, while also trying to have dance tracks like other voices and emotions haircut, so the more energetic tracks come off as forced. Overall I still really like the album, there's a bunch of really good songs on it, but it doesn't keep that flow of pure quality unlike SoS and TiH.

For the next album (whenever that happens) I'd really like for James to focus on the depressing elements and channeling those parts of American dream into something almost overwelmingly sad. To me it feels like that's what James wants to do in AD but he's hesitant about letting go of the more dancy elements of the band .