H.I.M.'s Razorblade Romance was a huge step from the poppy yet raw Greatest Lovesongs, and so their reputation as teenage-girl entertainers began to grow. That was very unfortunate for the old fans of H.I.M., as Razorblade Romance marks the beginning of H.I.M.'s more polished pop era. Deep Shadows & Brilliant Highlights plunges deeper. The songs lack hooks, the sound is just way too clean, and as the highlights (the tracks "In Joy and Sorrow" and "Pretending") are over before the half point, as a whole Deep Shadows is utterly boring. It may reach its goal -- satisfying teenage girls -- but musically it is a horrible failure.