ie - friend ly ▁narr ative ", ▁while ▁not ing ▁that ▁the ▁album ' s ▁" most ▁distingu ishing ▁characteristic ▁is ▁an ▁unusual ▁level ▁of ▁meta - pop ▁self - aw aren ess ." ▁The ▁Independ ents ▁Andy ▁Gill ▁felt ▁that ▁the ▁album ▁has ▁" safe , ▁conform ist ▁elect rop op ▁gro ov es ▁following ▁lines ▁as ▁straight ▁and ▁satisfying ▁as ▁super market ▁a is les ", ▁con cluding ▁that ▁" the ▁result ▁is ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁attention - def ic it ▁pop : ▁for ▁while ▁' New ▁in ▁Town ' ▁and ▁' E arth qu ake ' ▁have ▁an ▁instant ▁appeal , ▁it ' s ▁striking ▁how ▁quickly ▁one ' s ▁pal ate ▁is ▁s ated ▁by ▁their ▁pop - rock ▁f izz : ▁the ▁listener ▁who ▁can ▁play ▁H ands ▁all ▁the ▁way ▁through ▁is ▁either ▁dedicated , ▁or ▁dead ." ▁Paul ▁Sch rod t ▁of ▁Sl ant ▁Magazine ▁argued ▁that ▁while ▁the ▁album ▁" sm acks ▁of ▁trying ▁too ▁hard ", ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁songs ▁" are ▁im min ently ▁play able ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁terms , ▁whether ▁it ' s ▁a ▁Rob yn - style , ▁slow - burn ing ▁heart ache ▁(' No ▁B rak es ') ▁or ▁enjoy ably ▁Euro tr ash ▁camp ▁(' He arts ▁Col lide '). " ▁In ▁a ▁mixed ▁review , ▁Joe ▁Z ade h ▁of ▁Cl ash ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁album ▁" falls ▁victim ▁to ▁attempts ▁to ▁reach ▁beyond ▁more ▁boundaries ▁than ▁necessary , ▁and ▁thus ▁iron ically ▁los es ▁the