I think this weirdly mischaracterizes the band based on the press bio:
Noting that they’ve “always played faster and a little harder live,” frontman Matthew Caws and crew set out to capture the raw, excited feel of a practice-room jam session with seventh album The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy, the followup to the 2010’s If I Had a Hi-Fi.
This may well be, but the production and energy level are virtually identical to the previous three Nada Surf albums (which the review gives little indication of having heard). It’s certainly no worse than The Weight is a Gift (a little sharper, to these ears), which got a respectable 6.4 — what crimes has this one committed to lower it to a sub-average 4.4? Silly lyrics? It’s a Nada Surf album! Oh well.
