I got the NFT, and seems I'm the first to fully digest the album and post about it! Cool! Here's my quick thoughts, will do a longer write-up later...
Overall, amazing! I have heard OLP make versions of this kind of music before and it always seemed a bit restrained, but they're really going for it here. Anti-rock indeed. There is tons of guitar, great vocal deliveries, and a really, really groovy bottom end with Duncan and Jason, yet its the way they all weave together which makes this album special. I wasn't so much headbanging as dancing in my chair, which was great!
Those fearing the album wouldn't fit the theme or be worthy of a sequel can be relieved. This new record in unequivocally and obviously SM II, and there are many musical and lyrical allusions to the previous record, while still being fresh, exciting, and with a more modern and optimistic presentation (at least to me).
Early song favorites (non singles) include Wish You Well, 19 Days, and Temporary Healing, with some amazing singing on Good Die Young.
Honestly, the only disappointments are the whole NFT drop thing, and that I wish Mike had been a bit more prominent in the mix on his feature, but maybe that is just my speakers. It was obviously him though, and his part fit in really well and helped tie the two records together IMO.
Lastly, while I'm excited to be one of the first to listen to it in full, I'm even more excited for everyone else to listen to it!! Let's go!