The more their career has progressed, the more Philadelphia-based experimental rock band Man Man has reined in their sound. Whereas their first LPs, The Man in a Blue Turban with a Face and Six Demon Bag, were full of frenetic yelps and bursts of energy, their latest release, On Oni Pond, finds the band following the polished direction of 2011’s Life Fantastic.

On Oni Pond finds the band at its most stripped down in every way, most notably its lineup. Instead of the full band featured on past albums, only gravelly-voiced lead singer Ryan “Honus Honus” Kattner and drummer Chris “Pow Pow” Powell are featured. Their early efforts had the tendency to overwhelm, but On Oni Pond demonstrates calculated complexity: it retains layers and hooks without the spasticity of the band’s back catalogue.

This refined sound is best exemplified in tracks “Pink Wonton” and the fervent “Loot My Body;” they’re both ripe with accenting horns, guitars, and keys, but still maintain melodic focus. Other songs, including the plucked string-driven “Head On” and sombre ukulele ballad “Deep Cover” show the band diving headfirst into more mainstream pop territory. The album’s largest drawback is its lack of cohesion between songs; it alternates between high-and low-energy tracks with jarring transition, making it difficult to digest all at once.

Man Man’s refined sound maintains the energy of their earlier albums, allowing each song to shine without being overcrowded with frenzy. While the record tends to cover too wide of a musical berth, the individual songs prove that the duo’s penchant for hooks still shines through.