Quirky pop troubadours are a dime a dozen, but Mull Historical Society rogue Colin MacIntyre makes himself a man among the Badly Drawn Boys with his sophomore effort, Us (Beggars/XL). A study in sunny pop sophistication, Us shares the multi-instrumental exuberance of past singles like "Watching Xanadu," from his 2001 debut, Loss (Beggars/XL). Vibrant string orchestrations march majestically through "Asylum" and "Clones," while bells and horns dot "The Final Arrears" and lush layers of harmonies drive the hard-charging "Live Like the Automatics." Elsewhere, the Scottish popsmith brings to mind the Flaming Lips ("Oh Mother"), Elliott Smith ("5 More Minutes"), and, ah, a chorus of sheep (the hidden track "The Whiting of the People"). MacIntyre follows up the biting social commentary on Loss with "Minister for Genetics & Insurance M.P.," a tune that explores the ennui of the government worker. And he leads listeners further into personal territory on tracks like "Can" and "Her Is You," both of which are ebullient love songs, and on the title track, where gentle trombone and clarinet barely mask his anguish over a break-up.