Two Against Nature

1	Gaslighting Abbie 5:53
2	What a Shame About Me 5:17
3	Two Against Nature 6:17
4	Janie Runaway 4:09
5	Almost Gothic 4:09
6	Jack of Speed 6:17
7	Cousin Dupree 5:28
8	Negative Girl 5:34
9	West of Hollywood 8:21

Barnes & Noble

It's been nearly 20 years since their last foray into a recording studio as a team, but Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are no more in step with the musical world now than they were at their peak -- and that's a very good thing. The 21st-century edition of Steely Dan retains that inimitable ability to sprinkle danceable riffs with one hand and pull the rug out from under listeners with the other, as evidenced by the Southern-gothic funkfest "Cousin Dupree" and the creepy mind games of "Gaslighting Abby." The vibe of TWO AGAINST NATURE isn't terribly different from the pair's late-'70s output -- slick jazz-funk and burnished ballads dominate, with little room for the cerebro-rock of their earlier days. But when the sonic short stories are as perfectly executed and multi-layered as, say, the smirkingly self-mocking "What a Shame About Me," it's hard not to be reeled in. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Notorious for shunning concert performances, Steely Dan's improbable live reunion in the mid-'90s eventually turned into a full-fledged reunion album. Since Steely Dan fans went two decades without even the hope of a new record, the very prospect was a delight, but it was also a little worrying, since a botched comeback would tarnish the band's legacy. Fortunately, Two Against Nature is as seductive and alluring as the best of Steely Dan's later work, with a similar emphasis on classy atmosphere and groove. Pitched halfway between Gaucho and the immaculate production of Fagen's solo album Kamakiriad, it's a graceful, intricate record that works its subtle charms at its own pace. While that means it isn't a knockout on the first listen, it's a real grower -- a quietly addicting album that slowly works its way into the subconscious. It's also an uncannily natural extension of the duo's previous work, but surprisingly, it never sounds nostalgic or dated. It's clear that Becker and Fagen re-teamed because they simply enjoy working together: crafting the songs and arrangements, designing the production, shoehorning in-jokes into the lyrics, finding the exact performances that fit their specifications. In this sense, Two Against Nature is no different than any past Steely Dan effort; that's exactly why it's welcome, since they find nearly endless permutations within their signature sound. Lyrically, the album isn't quite as malicious as their '70s work, but they haven't lost their sharp humor, even on some mere throwaway lines. The real payoff, however, is musical. Each song gradually reveals its own identity through small, thrilling touches, giving the record depth and character, and fitting it comfortably into Steely Dan's acclaimed body of work. And that's as delightfully unexpected and peculiarly beautiful as anything else in their career. Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone

Two Against Nature is Dan defined. The album mixes world-class chops and jazzy, postgraduate soul sound with some wonderful, vague storytelling. David Wild

Entertainment Weekly

The core elements are unchanged: white-hot chops, black humor, and a flair for the cryptic. Chris Willman