This follows 2006's "Appreciation Night" (praised by the likes of Rolling Stone, the NY Times, Alternative Press, URB, and the Chicago Tribune). "The Family Afloat" expresses a crucial personal transition and a collective one. The band quit their day jobs to tour relentlessly, then made the communal decision to return to the more stable life of work weeks and strong roots. But there's no settling down in these songs: family life is raw and confusing; as uncomfortable and unexpected and rewarding as it is crucial.