Delta Spirit’s self-titled third album sees the band attempting to shake their “rootsy Americana” label, offering their sleekest, most polished, and accessible record to date, for better or worse.

The new direction isn’t completely unexpected considering the prominence of rock-based songs on their sophomore effort History From Below, but it is surprising how enthusiastically they’ve committed to the change. This time, it’s all amplified, with acoustic guitar making only a few fleeting background appearances and a widened sonic palette including synths and drum machines. Sometimes the new sounds and timbres work well-the hazy, washed out guitars on “California” do an excellent job of evoking romanticized images of said state-but achieve underwhelming results elsewhere (“Tellin’ the Mind” feels overstuffed in particular).

Singer Matthew Vasquez’s voice remains the band’s greatest asset, running the gamut from soothingly tender on “Yamaha”  to impassioned, throat-straining cries that make “Money Saves”  the cathartic highlight of the album. The songs themselves focus on the “big picture,” addressing philosophical questions about life, love, and coming to terms with one’s own mortality, but there’s a persistent musical optimism even with the heaviest lyrics (“Empty House,” “Into the Darkness”).

Fans might lament the band’s move away from their rootsy foundations, especially considering how good those songs were, but “classic” Delta Spirit would have derailed the record’s sonic cohesiveness. In the end, focusing on what the album isn’t misses out on what it is-a band putting a new foot forward and mostly succeeding.