...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead IX [Colored Vinyl]

. And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead's ninth album -- named not for its place in the band's discography, but for a planet in Frank Herbert's Dune series -- doesn't aim to recreate the fervor of The Century of Self, Tao of the Dead or Lost Songs. Instead, Conrad Keely, Jason Reece and company opt for a more introspective outlook, but even their personal crises are on a grand scale, taking on biblical proportions on "Jaded Apostles" and riffing on Sigmund Freud's The Ego and the Id on "The Lie Without a Liar." Songs such as these and the blustery breakup lament "The Ghost Within" give IX's first half a similar tempo and emotional tenor, but touches like the formidable percussion on "A Million Random Digits" and the quintessentially Trail of Dead gallop of "Doomsday Book" add depth. "The Dragonfly Queen" turns IX's midtempo churn into a strength, delivering dark, jangly pop that distills album's emotions; later, "Bus Lines" provides a similar intimacy despite its substantial length. Elsewhere, lavish instrumentals like "How to Avoid Huge Ships" counterbalance the intensity of "Lost in the Grand Scheme," the album's most blazing track. ~ Heather Phares