First things first: Romance Is Boring features a significantly different Los Campesinos! than fans first encountered two years ago. Those still hoping for another Hold On Now, Youngster should probably wake up and accept the new (and yes, improved) Los Campesinos!. Romance Is Boring is much more reminiscent of the band's other 2008 album We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed (two track titles even reference this album, as if to drive the point home) and we're all better off for it. A mission statement of sorts can be found in “We've Got Your Back (Documented Emotional Breakdown #2).” The song starts out similar to the Los Camp of yore, with some lovely singing by the now-departed Aleks Campesinos, pleasantly poppy music, and well-placed handclaps. Suddenly, however, the song shifts gears, getting louder and slightly more disjointed. The gear shift is signaled by Gareth Campesinos singing “So fucking on, so fucking forth,” as though making fun of the band's more simplistic and less musically varied past.

The band has referred to Romance Is Boring as 'nothing if not ambitious,' and a listen through the album proves this sentiment. Songs like “Who Fell Asleep In” feature a full-fledged string section that recalls bands like Parenthetical Girls, a band Los Campesinos! has cited as a favorite (and whose Zac Pennington not-so-coincidentally guests on the album). Even the straight-up pop songs like first single “There Are Listed Buildings” show some previously underdeveloped muscle, in this case with well-placed horns that threaten to send the song's high-flying chorus out of the stratosphere. Perhaps most impressive of all is the transition of Harriet Campesinos from supporting player to a main cast member. Her violin playing has gone from mainly auxiliary to much more prominent, whether it's featured in small bursts (“Straight in at 101”) or at a song's forefront (“Who Fell Asleep In,” “The Sea Is a Good Place to Think of The Future). With Romance Is Boring, the band has finally made the most of their seven member lineup.

Though much has changed musically from the band's past to present, one constant has been Gareth Campesinos' highly entertaining lyrics, and he's crafted a few more gems for Romance Is Boring that are sure to crack a smile. Lyrics like, “I remember being naked to my waist, though not in which direction” help support the album's title and theme - indeed, romance must be pretty boring if such an event cannot be recalled. Also, the couplet that opens “Straight in at 101” will most certainly be quoted by the Los Camp faithful for a long time to come. I won't spoil the surprise for you, but anyone who listens to Los Camp and is familiar with bands like Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky will love it, guaranteed.

This combination of solid lyrical content and more challenging musicianship gives birth to plenty of great moments throughout the album. But while Romance Is Boring features many peaks, the album's apex is reached near its end with “The Sea Is a Good Place to Think of the Future.” Released by the band a few months ago to whet the appetite of fans anticipating Romance Is Boring, “Sea” is the greatest indicator of where Los Camp are as a band right now and (bet you didn't see this coming) where they might be headed in the future. Guitar feedback and Harriet's violin playing provide a somber mood perfectly suited for sad, personal lyrics like, “I ask her to speak French and then I need her to translate/I get the feeling she makes the meaning more significant/She was always far too pretty for me to believe in a single word she said.” The two verses build up in different ways but both ultimately lead to an unforgettable chorus. Really, the only bad thing about the song is that it's hard for the album's last two tracks match its quality. Penultimate track “This Is a Flag. There Is No Wind” has some good moments (especially the introduction) but can't reach the heights of “Sea,” and while the last track is advertised as a coda, naming it as such doesn't automatically make it a suitable way to finish the album. Instead of getting a satisfying ending, we get some seriously awkward singing from Gareth, and similarly goofy music. It feels more like an elongated transition track (like “Heart Swells/100-1”) rather than a fully fleshed-out album closer. It's a minor complaint, but on an album with so many highs, ending the album on such a head-scratching note is a bit frustrating.

Aside from a couple hiccups, Romance Is Boring comfortably takes its place as the newest addition to the Los Campesinos! discography and is arguably their best record yet, thanks to the advances in instrumentation and overall sound. However, don't expect to be blown away on first listen; it's an album that has to be listened to a few times to be appreciated. The use of different instrumentation and sudden shifts in dynamics will pop out more and more with each successive listen, making each time more rewarding than the previous one. If Los Campesinos! keeps releasing albums with such impressive replay value, perhaps fans clamoring for another Hold On Now, Youngster may eventually be silenced after all.

Track List:
1. In Medias Res
2. There Are Listed Buildings
3. Romance Is Boring
4. We’ve Got Your Back (Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #2)
5. Plan A
6. 200-102
7. Straight in at 101
8. Who Fell Asleep In
9. I Warned You: Do Not Make an Enemy of Me
10. Heart Swells/100-1
11. I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed, Just So You Know
12. A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show Me State; or, Letters from Me to Charlotte
13. The Sea Is a Good Place to Think of the Future
14. This Is a Flag. There Is No Wind
15. Coda: A Burn Scar in the Shape of the Sooner State