OK, I can admit when I've been wrong: I wasn't all that excited about the new Dakoda record because I assumed, wrongly, that I'd seen all they could do. Sure, Into the Son was bright pop-fluff and Welcome Race Fans sported three brilliant songs--but between the staged exit and replacement of Davia (who always seemed a central component of Dakoda's sound and image) with newcomer Melissa Brewer, and Peter King's busy schedule (pro surfing, MTV, another band), it was hard to expect much. Wow. Was I wrong. Railroad plays to the band's strengths, with Brewer providing sturdy competition with King's more-present vocals. Musically, it's the perfect blend--not too punk, not too pop, a surfer rock album that plants itself firmly without wiping out. Some will be disappointed that the lyrics are less overtly evangelical--Railroad is about observations, whether of the emptiness of a godless life ("Falling Down"), the influence of media on how we see the world ("Railroad"), or the dangers of looking up to Dakoda because they're in the public eye ("Followed Me"). The album closes with the endearingly romantic "Tommy" (I don't think I've ever heard such a sweet song refer to stage diving, or such a sweet song move at quite that tempo). Welcome, Dakoda fans--the ride is just getting good.