I feel that Max has just lost his touch lyrically. Or maybe that's not it: maybe his subject matter has moved outside the range of themes and emotions he's good at addressing. AMD had some interesting things going on acoustically, but there wasn't a single song that I connected with lyrically: the rare angry moments felt forced, and most of the brighter songs really faltered. I feel he's crossed the line into "Hmm, what should I write my next song about?", from an initial point of compulsion, of "I HAVE to let this out." Little on the past two albums feels imperative. If he gives a damn, he needs to recapture how to convey that.

I'll keep listening to see if he manages that. I'm still the optimist, though it is hard when all you want to hear in a new SA record is in a dream.