Trent Reznor has always been a solitary mandroid. But the Nine Inch Nails auteur's new band feels like a real partnership, with Reznor (and NIN assist men Atticus Ross and Rob Sheridan) handing lead vocals to his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, for an album of architecturally perfect, slow-slither electro pop. "When I lie on top of you, I'm afraid," she murmurs over tortured bass whir and goth whale noises on "Keep It Together." On "We Fade Away," phrases like "We decimate, eradicate" get whisper-chanted amid wounded-EKG bleat, ice sheets of ambient noise and what sounds like Reznor's buried voice, asking, "Am I just talking to myself?" For once, the answer is no.

“More Than a Feeling”

Boston mastermind Tom Scholz was as surprised by anyone when he sent his unsolicited demo to record labels and got back a positive response. Scholz said, “I couldn’t believe it. Nobody knew who we were, so I wouldn’t even say we were struggling. It was groveling.” Part of the credit for the interest must go to the anthemic rock number "More Than a Feeling." Inspired by the Left Banke's 1966 hit "Walk Away Renee," Scholz worked on the song for five years in his basement studio before it was released on this album.