The first half of knights of Cydonia has to be the most wonderfully bar-stewardised surf guitar song ever :P Perhaps Matt is paying homage to his dad's tornadoes roots.
Personally I love the album - it feels like a natural progression from the previous albums. Although who would expect this after hearing Showbiz? Black holes feels like a record from a band with far more experience in the studio, and live.
And the Jonathon Ross tone? It was MQs :D