Despite gaining some critical praise and establishing a small, yet devoted fan base, Christiansen have remained relatively low on peoples radar through the current indie/emo explosion. At their core a complexly minimalist take on At The Drive-In reminiscent indie rock, it's not hard to see why the band have yet to ascend to the heights reached by their commercially friendly peers. Not about to change, "Stylish Nihilists" essentially picks up where "Forensics Brothers And Sisters!" left off, jamming out jagged indie rock with gritty jazz undercurrents and loosely off-timed song structures

Undoubtedly the two featured guest appearances from Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo included here will be the main attraction of this release to inexperienced, especially with the ravenous appetite that fans of the aforementioned band have. But while these two contributions are indeed noticeable, they do anything but take precedence of the disc, instead sounding more inconspicuous and rushed than invigorating or innovative. Perhaps that's just the way the band wanted it however, as their style is quite low key, requiring a considerable amount of attention from the listener to be appreciated.

Plodding along through each track with a weighty rhythm section and ramshackle instrumentation, Christiansen's intelligent brand of mathy rock is not likely to light the scene on fire anytime soon. But that's alright though, because it truly sounds as if the band don't really care about tailoring themselves for primetime on this release. Instead they feel as though they are just playing for themselves and testing their own limits. True it might be a bit tiresome and too indulgent/sloppy at times, but it's still refreshing to see a band not trying to lace every song they write with contrived melodic choruses, blatant hooks or predictable breakdowns. If At The Drive-In without the flamboyance or hyperactivity sounds appealing, then "Stylish Nihilists" will surely please; how it goes down with the rest of the public at large remains to be seen however.