"Pyramids" is cited by writers as the album's centerpiece. Brice Ezell from PopMatters wrote that it denotes "the vital midpoint of the overarching narrative", where "the wittier tone of the record's front half gives way to an emotionally dense second half." Veering from synth-funk to slow jam styles, the song has a lyrical conceit that uses Ancient Egyptian and Biblical imagery, and contrasts the legendary fall of Cleopatra with the circumstances of a latter-day working girl, who dances at a strip club called the Pyramid to support her man's gaudy aspirations. The new wave-styled "Lost" is about a perplexed addict, who hopes for a better life for him and his drug-cooking girlfriend. "Monks", a funk rock song, is about finding nirvana and deals with topics such as casual sex and devout religion in a narrative that shifts from an exciting concert to a metaphorical jungle. "Bad Religion" features melodramatic, orchestral music and a series of figures, including strings, handclaps, marching band snare drums, and mournful organ chords. The lyrics follow an emotional confession to a taxi driver by a narrator brooding over a secretive intimate relationship. Music journalist Alexis Petridis asserted that the song "repurpos[es] the battle between religion and lust that's been at the heart of soul music since it ceded from gospel".
