While producer Jamison's first two
Teen Daze releases, the EP
A Silent Planet and the full-length
All of Us, Together were inspired by literary works, he looks inward on his second album, examining love and spirituality. Even though
The Inner Mansions has a title that sounds just as bookish as his other work, and these songs aren't any more literal than the atmospheric synth pop of his previous music, they do have a more emotive, more compelling feel than the utopian ideals that fueled
All of Us, Together. The newfound depth and scope -- not to mention more focused melodies and songwriting -- on tracks such as "New Life" and "Divided Loyalties" recall a homespun version of
M83's widescreen romanticism. These songs are intercut with more abstract interludes, like the seven-minute-long "Discipleship," or the lilting "Spirit," both of which are just as sweet and sparkly as anything on
A Silent Planet or
All of Us, Together, but benefit from the contrast of
The Inner Mansions' more structured songs. "Union," a collaboration with
Frankie Rose, is one such standout, a wonderfully hazy piece of synth-driven dream pop that marks the album's prettiest and most dynamic moment. Interestingly, pieces such as "The Garden 2" and "By Love" manage to out-bliss much of
Teen Daze's previous work as they paint pictures of an electro-pop Eden, and only a cover of
Brian Eno's "Always Returning" could follow a choral piece called "The Heart of God" and not feel anticlimactic. It's not uncommon for artists to lose a little of their music's heart when they upgrade their sonics, but
The Inner Mansions is equally emotional and polished, and some of
Teen Daze's finest work. ~ Heather Phares