"Desert Lights", their fifth studio album (1 June 2006) also topped the charts – their second number-one album. It was certified gold status within a month of its release. They had recorded it over four months in Los Angeles with Brad Wood (Ben Lee, the Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair). Dempsey had started working on lyrics for it in the previous year, "Writing this record was difficult. But at the end of it, I've never been happier." Stephanie McDonald of FasterLouder felt its "sound has moved from one of raw, hard rock to something a lot more melodic with pop appeal... group combines both those elements into something truly inspirational."