When
Priests
'
Nothing Feels Natural
arrived in January 2017 -- just in time for
President Donald Trump
's inauguration -- it felt like it was summoned by a collective need for its outrage and contemplation. Two years later,
The Seduction of Kansas
reflects the changes in the band, and in America, since the release of their debut album. With the departure of former bassist
Taylor Mulitz
to play full time with his other group
Flasher
,
became a trio, a reconfiguration that allowed
Katie Greer
Daniele Daniele
, and
G.L. Jaguar
to experiment on their second album. To that end, they worked with producer
John Congleton
and multi-instrumentalist
Janel Leppin
, who contributed some of
's distinctive sounds and textures. Where that album practically leapt into listeners' ears,
is slower and more polished, telegraphing that
are in it for the long haul. Even when the band revisits the sound of their debut, their intentions feel more considered. As "Jesus' Son" builds on the snarling territory of "Pink White House," its tale of lethal American arrogance manages to be more specific and more general than anything
have done before. Similarly, "Youtube Sartre" echoes the eerie post-punk that made
so compelling as it conveys how politics permeate every aspect of late-2010s life. As strong as these songs are, when
use
' wide canvases to tell bigger stories, the results are thrilling. On "Texas Instruments," they give the warts-and-all history of the Lone Star State a fittingly cinematic scope. Elsewhere, they prove risk is still a vital element of their music: The title track's cooing choruses and disco beats flirt with pop while
Greer
envisions corporations and industries vying for America's heart and soul. Though it's always clear where
stand on the issues they address on
, they express them with nuance. "Good Time Charlie" transforms the portrayal of U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson in the film
Charlie Wilson's War
into an examination of mythmaking, while
's alternately furious and compliant vocals on "Control Freak" hint at just how tangled sexism -- whether it's external or internalized -- can be. Not surprisingly,
have plenty to say about sexual politics in the #MeToo era, whether it's the suffused paranoia of the heartbreakingly real "Not Perceived" or the revenge fantasies of "I'm Clean," where ticking beats and shouted vocals recall
Le Tigre
, another band skilled at blending theory and passion. Despite its conceptual density, some of
' simplest moments are the most powerful. "I am trying to find a form for all these feelings,"
Daniele
says on the poignant spoken-word track "Interlude." It's a sentiment that captures the essence of
' music on
-- while they're too nonconformist to be a traditional punk band, they continue to define themselves as something more challenging and encompassing. ~ Heather Phares