Pontus, the Devil, and Me features the spirited energy, rocking guitars and irresistible hooks of the genre, but with more thoughtful execution and clever songwriting.

NPR: Love In October: 'Petrula The Destroyer'

The following year, the band released its Words of Sound EP before following it up with the full-length Pontus, the Devil, and Me at the start of 2008.

NPR: Love In October: 'Petrula The Destroyer'

"It's the most direct evidence of farming spreading by migration of peoples that you could hope to find, " said lead author Pontus Skoglund, an Uppsala University graduate student.

WSJ: Migrations Spurred Agriculture Spread, Studies Indicate

Just as quickly as it begins, the song transitions into a lighter, cheerier chorus and then jets forward once again, turning "Petrula the Destroyer" into an unexpected roller coaster that, like much of Pontus, the Devil, and Me, travels successfully between multiple pop-rock moods and styles.

NPR: Love In October: 'Petrula The Destroyer'