Explosions in the Sky, after scoring Friday Night Lights, reevaluated their music to avoid creative stagnation. Their next album, recorded with John Congleton at Pachyderm Studios, marked a bold evolution—tighter songwriting, expanded instrumentation, and rawer intensity. It bridges the gap between studio precision and live energy, appealing to fans across genres—from Sigur Rós to Sufjan Stevens to My Chemical Romance.