This album should reap glowing sound-bites like his past work: "Multitude of delights." "Remarkable vocalist and songsmith." "Explosion of creativity." The opening cut, "Lion" hits like the sun shining through. While sitting steadily amid modern sounds in the modern era, the irresistible tunefulness evokes past greats Elvis Costello and Beatles. On "Another Disaster," he sings about futile love in a high-octane, surreal blend of surf-rock & broadway. "Love Belongs to Everyone" is epic and sorrowful. But an uplifting spirit pervades. The title cut, "Villain" keeps the sense of humor: "Some girls can't help it. They love the villain." This album's victory is that it is fun, in spite of the losing ways of its hapless characters. The instrumentation is usually light, but with depth, as producer Ehren Ebbage (The Dimes) maintains a sense of ensemble. The tones bristle with both polish and grit.
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