The
TVPs' most musically accessible album to date,
Closer to God is also their most gloomy (although it's a ray of sunshine when compared to its follow-up, I Was a Mod Before You Was a Mod). Embellished by bright arrangements, strings and horns, tracks like "This Heart's Not Made of Stone" and "Coming Home Soon" are white lies, upbeat productions masking downbeat songs; more honest are "My First Nervous Breakdown" and "Very Dark Today," which make no bones about the depths of Dan Treacy's despair. ~ Jason Ankeny