...that followed an album that had fantastic songs mixed with duds with an album that was consistently good (even if no track on the latter album was as singularly good as the best ones from the previous one).

Talking about TV on the Radio from another thread gave me this idea. So...

Previous Album: Return to Cookie Mountain
Highlight Track(s): Wolf Like Me
Next Album, More Consistent: Dear Science

How about the National?
Previous Album: Alligator
Highlight Track(s): All the Wine, Abel, Lit Up
Next Album, More Consistent: Boxer

Obviously this is very subjective (and the fact you didn't include Mr. November from Alligator as a highlight track is hurtful). But in my opinion...
Blitzen Trapper
Previous Album: Wild Mountain Nation
Highlight Tracks: Wild Mountain Nation, Sci-Fi Kid
Next Album, More Consistent: Furr

I actually thought this thread was just going to be 'name some bands', and that it would be some kind of snarky meta-commentary on all the pointless list-making that goes on here.

Instead it was just pointless list-making.

Now, name some bands whose third song on their debut was worse than the last song.