by Jason MacNeilIn the world of the Handsome Family, it would appear that the glass is half full. The only problem is that the glass is either upside down or shattered on the floor. Riddled with dark and morbid tales of suburbia, murder, and the demise of carrying pigeons, the baker's dozen offerings seem animal-oriented, but still teem with an eerie old-time country & western sense of foreboding. Although the first track, "The Snow White Diner," seems uplifting with its "Layla"-like intro, the album waltzes along with keyboards and basic bare-bones accompaniment. Particularly pretty is "All the TVs in Town" and the spacy background of "Gravity." There is also a sense of this being a dysfunctional Christmas album, exemplified by "Birds You Cannot See." The husband and wife team of Rennie Sparks on keyboards and singer Brett Sparks lead the listener down a lovely yet dark trail few would dare tread twice.