▁rock , ▁for ▁their ▁" power house " ▁guitar ▁r iffs ▁and ▁" force ful " ▁ch or uses . ▁ ▁Their ▁second ▁studio ▁album , ▁Take ▁Me ▁Home ▁( 2 0 1 2 ), ▁is ▁character ised ▁by ▁rock - in her ited ▁pop , ▁prominent ▁electric ▁guitar ▁r iffs , ▁bright ▁synth esis ers , ▁a ▁hom ogeneous ▁sound ▁and ▁message , ▁and ▁the ▁pitch - correct ing ▁software ▁Auto - T une . ▁Alex is ▁Pet rid is ▁of ▁The ▁Guardian ▁interpreted ▁its ▁signature ▁sound ▁as ▁a ▁" pe ppy , ▁synth - bol ster ed ▁take ▁on ▁early - 8 0 s ▁new - wave ▁pop , ▁heavy ▁on ▁cli pped ▁rh yth ms ▁and ▁ch ug ging ▁gu it ars ," ▁which , ▁he ▁said , ▁is ▁at ▁least ▁an ▁improvement ▁on ▁the ▁substitute ▁contemporary ▁R & B ▁" that ▁was ▁once ▁the ▁gr im ▁lot ▁of ▁the ▁boy band ." ▁Jon ▁Car aman ica , ▁writing ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁considered ▁the ▁album ▁" far ▁more ▁mechanical " ▁than ▁their ▁debut ▁album , ▁although ▁noted ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁son ically ▁and ▁lyr ically ▁similar . ▁The ▁album ' s ▁ly ric ism ▁speak s ▁of ▁falling ▁in ▁love , ▁un re qu ited ▁love , ▁the ▁ins istence ▁that ▁fla ws ▁are ▁what ▁make ▁a ▁person ▁unique , ▁commit ment , ▁je alous y ▁and ▁long ing ▁for ▁past ▁significant ▁others . ▁ ▁Er ica ▁F utter man ▁for ▁Rol ling ▁Stone ▁fav oured ▁their