Graduated from the world of Internet downloads to their first widely available release -- meaning in America, you could pre-order and pick it up at the mall -- "scene" act
Blood on the Dance Floor remain true to their roots while benefiting from the extra cash, which means
Evolution is awesome or awful depending on your point of view. There's a better chance of turning
Shins fans into
Insane Clown Posse followers than selling them a
BOTDF backpack because caring for this kind-of-goth, kind-of-
Kiss-looking act means liking music that's
Katy Perry,
Pet Shop Boys, or
Flo Rida-styled, topped with vocals that deliver "Take love, and multiply it by infinity, and take it to the depths of forever, and you would still only have a glimpse of how I feel for you" in earnest, as if Rushmore's Max Fischer just wrote a black nail polish disco musical immediately after his first taste of heartbreak. Those lyrics come from "Frankenstein + the Bride," which toys with Mary Shelley's creations as if they're doomed characters in some preteen girl's diary, and this synth pop epic comes after an interlude that gives the Law of Attraction as a way of life. While that might fall right in line with the copy of The Secret on Mom's night stand, "Fantasyland" suggests that metaphysical law will bring porn stars and fellatio to those who wish for it, and suddenly these scene kids are all Fifty Shades of Grey and scary. Body objectifying is just the beginning when "Revenge Porn" combines video game bleeps, anime-worthy music, and aggressive sexting, but just like with
Brokencyde, put your hope for the next generation aside and these amazingly ridiculous moments can give jaw-dropping thrills, like when "Rise & Shine" goes from teen heartbreak, to a dubstep drop, to an unashamedly inappropriate
Martin Luther King sample, and then on to a guest rap from Deuce, the mask-wearing exile from
Hollywood Undead. Everything is heavy, all breakups are devastating, and the only way to party is like a rock star in the glittery Grand Guignol world of
Evolution, but the record label is called Dark Fantasy and not Sage Advice, so proceed with caution and a campy attitude, protest their in-store appearance at the mall, or ignore dark youth culture altogether and hope someone hits with "I Care About Things That Matter (Because the Only Real Steez is Self-Esteem)" very soon. ~ David Jeffries