Considering that "The Beginning Stages of ... The Polyphonic Spree [ tickets ]," the band's first album, took just three days to record, it's no surprise that, with a lot more time (and financing), the follow-up, "Together We're Heavy," is a big achievement.

As with the first album, listening to "Together" can often make you feel like you're somewhere between a high school band recital and running in a field with the original cast of "Hair" ("It's the Sun," on the first album and echoed in the second, is no far cry from "Let the Sunshine In.") But the rich arrangements, frontman Tim DeLaughter's instinctual lyrics and the sheer joyfulness of the music would be hard for the toughest rock cynic to ignore.

Though the band's primary message--love is the most important thing--still shines through, there are more sentiments to be heard here. In "One Man Show," after sweetly singing, "It's a beautiful day," DeLaughter adds, "It's time to leave ... Somebody," and surrounds the words with an operatic alto, pounding piano and menacing flute and strings.

And "Hold Me Now" alternates between serious, "Day in The Life"-like verses, with the deceivingly cheerful message, "Hold me now/Don't start shaking." It's as if these sunshiny voices are trying to tell us, "Yes, be positive, but don't let these robes fool you--it's not as easy as it looks."