Parenthetical Girls don’t have the same priorities as you, and they intend to keep it that way. Rather than feature primary songwriters, the PG camp is helmed by vocalist/creative director Zac Pennington and producer/arranger Jherek Bischoff. But don’t let the stuffiness and ambition make you cold.

Privilege marks the band's warmest and most sincere outing yet. “Evelyn McHale” starts off unassumingly enough, with an arching vocal melody suited with a quivering charm mastered by affected singers like Colin Meloy or Morrissey. “Young Throats” and “A Note to Self” keep things upbeat (nearly danceable) while reserving the antagonistic, dramatic pangs of self-immolation through pop established by Xiu Xiu.

“Curtains,” the appropriately title closing track, punctuates the album with a tastefully subdued semi waltz that marries a darkly last-call sentiment with When In Rome’s retro-synth pop classic “The Promise.” Parenthetical Girls have finally come out of their shell.