Passion Pit, the solo project as poptronica band of Michael Angelakos, has always assumed a baby face. As on “I’ll Be Alright,” “Carried Away” (of Tropicana fame), and “Take A Walk” (of Taco Bell fame) from their previous album, 2012’s Gossamer, melodies and catch-all choruses have proven dominant in Passion Pit’s catalogue, allowing listeners to make the songs out to be far rosier than intended—particularly amusing considering much of Gossamer was concerned with Angelakos’ battle with bipolar disorder.

The latest Passion Pit album, Kindred (Columbia Records), is not entirely different, but feels significantly more real. There’s no progression or regression in sound, but it’s not some heard-it-before snore. At worst, the chorus chant of “All I Want” risks being played out a la “I’ll Be Alright,” but Kindred’s catchiest moments instead come off as true declarations from a forward-thinking Angelakos as someone who has come to terms with the tumultuous past of Gossamer and is ready to be over it. One spin of lead single “Lifted Up (1985)” has the effect of its title as the track is more rapturous than anything heard on Gossamer, without lending itself to being debased or misconstrued.

Passion Pit’s (rightful) claim to fame has always been the sheer catchiness of every one of its songs, and one would be especially hard-pressed to deny that after this third full-length. Nonetheless, this might be Angelakos’ first record to force the listener to back out of any surface-level assumption of his music. Kindred is pure pop without the image or cutesiness—not that he ever had any distaste for that before.