After hearing {^Noah's Ark}, any concerns about {$CocoRosie} becoming too tasteful or straightforward after the widespread critical acclaim for their debut album, {^La Maison de Mon Reve}, can be put to rest. If anything, the album errs in the opposite direction: alternately rambling and hypnotic, it's much more somber and insular (despite the presence of such kindred spirits as {$Devendra Banhart} and {$Antony} of {$Antony & the Johnsons}) than the duo's subversively angelic-sounding debut. {^La Maison de Mon Reve} certainly had a dark undercurrent that added considerable sting to its sweetness, but it's much more prominent on {^Noah's Ark}; sad, eerie lyrics like {&"K-Hole"}'s "All of the aborted babies will turn into little Bambies" are paired with equally spooky, mournful music instead of the deceptively light tones of the group's first album. There's a lot of power in the album's darkness, particularly on the apocalyptic campfire singalong {&"Armageddon."} However, {^Noah's Ark} occasionally feels too mannered and unfocused, and overly reliant on the sound effects and toy instruments that made their first album so surreally charming: in particular, interludes like {&"Milk"} and {&"Bear Hides and Buffalo"} sound like {\noise} collages missing the key pieces that would hold them together. That said, the album still has many moments of transporting beauty, especially on the songs that feel less cloistered. On {&"Beautiful Boyz,"} {$Antony}'s gorgeous croon adds a touch of {\cabaret} to the song's tale of star-crossed jailhouse love, and {$Banhart}'s Spanish-language mysticism on {&"Brazilian Sun"} advances {$CocoRosie}'s dreamy exoticism, giving it a more organic feel than it had on {^La Maison de Mon Reve}. Indeed, the more natural moments on {^Noah's Ark} are often the best: the title track, {&"South 2nd,"} and {&"The Sea Is Calm"} all put the focus on the {$Casady} sisters' delicate singing and playing. A disappointment mostly in comparison to the seemingly out-of-nowhere brilliance of {^La Maison de Mon Reve}, {^Noah's Ark} might fail to charm those not already bewitched by that album, but it won't break the spell for devoted fans. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide