There've been a few other cases like this - where a band's resident tortured genius left, and they turned out to do just fine without him. Pink Floyd comes to mind. But if this shows anything, it's that Isaac's instinct for the simple and catchy may have been actually holding their compositional skills back. Their music seems less predictable without his lyrics-first approach, less constricted into typical pop-song structures, and all the better for it. They may not be as focused a band as they were, but they're a more interesting one, and seem to have more potential for growth.
idk if i'd call songs like basketball shoes and science fair simple and catchy but i get what you mean. its hard to compare the two eras because in reality they are so different, but i do think the band is definitely recovering well.
