In Brief

Prefer your bile with a spoonful of sugar? Then feel the candied sting of this more rocking companion to 1999’s acoustic-orchestral “Volume 1.” As always, English pop veterans Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding craft lush, catchy tunes with careful detail and wry wit, capturing the simultaneous wonders and horrors of romance, from the goofy bliss of fresh passion (“Stupidly Happy”) to the brutal cynicism of disillusionment (“I’m the Man Who Murdered Love”).

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums will be in stores on Tuesday.