I can certainly understand some of the criticism that has been levelled at this record, though personally I think it was a solid and interesting album. It wasn't my favourite album of the year (Exai), but I nonetheless think, as a whole, it's a sonically pleasing and emotionally engaging listen - which is all I'd ask for from any record.
I do think there were some over the top reactions (both complimentary and critical) when TH first came out. There were people hailing it (particularly on message boards) as their best after hearing it only a couple of times - fair enough, but I find it hard to understand how any record can be deemed an artist's best (especially when we are talking four albums in) so soon. With listening to their other stuff over a period of years, and those tunes becoming so familiar, I really think TH needs a long time to be soaked up before I can really judge it - but, well that's just me, and of course I can see how it's possible that some people may have just immediately fallen in love with it.
I'd also question why we have the urge to rank these things - I'd rather see each album as a different facet of an artist / band that offers something unique. That way I can enjoy each release for what it is, see it as a piece of wider vision, and not get too bogged down with how its better or worse than what came before (But yeah, if you truly think it's shite, there's also not much you can do about it). For what it's worth, I find TH to be much more of music that needs devoted listens, ie. lights off headphones on, as opposed to music to wander about through town to or do work to, whereas I don't think that is necessarily true of their previous works.
Anyway, all this debate has made me want to give it a proper listen