H.I.M.

H.I.M.'s Razorblade Romance was a huge step from the poppy yet raw Greatest Lovesongs, and so their reputation as a teen girls' entertainer began to grow. That was very unfortunate for the old fans of H.I.M., as Razorblade Romance's the beginning of H.I.M.'s more polished pop era. Deep Shadows & Brilliant Highlights plunges deeper. Songs lack hooks, the sound is just way too clean, and as the highlights (single tracks "In Joy and Sorrow" and "Pretending") are over before the halfway point of the album, as a whole Deep Shadows is utterly boring. It may reach its goal -- satisfying teenage girls -- but musically it is a horrible failure. [The German edition appends four bonus tracks to the original: two remixes of "In Joy and Sorrow," and two remixes of "Pretending."] ~ Antti J. Ravelin, All Music Guide