Atmosphere is a quality infused with subjectivity. Considering all the external variables, it is exceedingly difficult for a band to control a listener's emotional reactions. Take The Clientele's new album Strange Geometry (releasing October 11 in the U.S.) as an example. Its soft focus orchestrations, whispered vocals, and shimmering guitars conjure emotions of delicate romantic melancholy. Will it still fill you with this wistful desperation if you listen to it while, say jack-hammering concrete? Or is the album successful only for a limited audience and in a very restricted environment?

Enduring albums, in my opinion, connect in nearly any locale and contain a variety of temperaments. If an album is 12 shades of yearning and disconsolation, it won't speak to me when I need anger or joy for a release. Thankfully the Clientele have learned to work with more than one reverb-drenched atmosphere, which is what makes Strange Geometry superior to its predecessor, 2003's The Violet Hour. It's not the most diverse of albums and it doesn't work in all situations, but it's still one of my favorite albums this year.

There are no severe mood swings, no anger, or outright happiness on Strange Geometry, but there is a measured degree of chirpiness to tracks like the amazing "Since K Got Over Me" (MP3), the swooning "E.M.P.T.Y", or the heavenly "Geometry of Lawns." The album goes a bit awry on "Losing Haringey", a spoken word piece that is pleasant, but meandering. Otherwise Strange Geometry is a focused and stirring step in the right direction.