As the Fray's sophomore album winds to a close, frontman Isaac Slade announces that "all is not well" —which lets you know the mood of these 10 tracks is not exactly cheerful. "The Fray" is a more angst-filled and melancholy set than you'd expect from a group following up a double-platinum debut, populated with songs about lost love and tortured souls. But hand-wringing music sells, especially when it also hews close to the melodic, piano-driven pop of 2005's "How to Save a Life." Choruses swell on "Syndicate" and "You Found Me," the album's first single. The airily upbeat "Where the Story Ends" nods to Coldplay, and a trio of songs—the gentle "Ungodly Hour," the fuzzy-grooved "We Build Then We Break" and the subtly building "Happiness" —bring the album to a powerful and emotionally rich close. On the last song, Slade sings, "Happiness damn near destroys you"—but it's certainly in no danger of ruining the Fray. —Gary Graff