To some extent, PS I Love You has been a sort of indie rock siphon, evoking everyone from Dinosaur Jr. to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. But while the Kingston, Ontario duo’s 2010 debut Meet Me at the Muster Station, could hardly be described as innovative, it was nonetheless rapturous. As further displayed on the band’s follow-up, Death Dreams, the band had a knack for anthemic songs, writing powerful builds supported with sensitive melodies. Even better, singer-guitarist Paul Saulnier displayed guitar chops on a virtuosic level—or at least virtuosic relative to other indie rock practitioners.

PS I Love You’s stylistic shift on For Those Who Stay (Paper Bag Records) is deceiving, as the opening songs don’t signify a complete departure immediately. First track “In My Mind At Least” picks up where Death Dreams left off: fully driven and built on jangled riffs that tip-toe the line between rock and pop in a manner not unlike The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. It’s “Bad Brain Day” that brings in the new era of PS I Love You. This far too long acoustic piece feels as uncomfortable as the Black Keys enlisting a gospel choir or Band of Horses’ third album. It comes off as uninspired filler material, far from the invigorating cuts of records past. Further along, the title track wanes similarly after its three-minute mark, delving into flat jamming for another entire song length. Even when the jam session ends, many of the other cuts (“Afraid of the Light” and “Friends Forever,” in paricular) prove monotonous and fail to resonate as well.

In contrast, “More of the Same” begins with a flurry of appetizingly overblown riffs and solo work, i.e. the qualities that at one point made PS I Love You endearing. As expected from the preceding seven tracks, however, the verses don’t live up to its introduction. Even if For Those Who Stay was a reaction to being pigeonholed, it becomes increasingly apparent that PS I Love You’s newest is by far their most misguided and disjointed attempt yet.