On Eclipse (Warner Bros. Records), our hero, George Lewis, Jr, is wounded and weak, overwhelmed by an attraction so forceful it blocks out the sun. He adheres pretty closely to his tried and tested recipes here, blending pop influences in familiar forms, with pulsing and pounding basses leading the way. He only occasionally experiments with new sounds. As the opening “Flatliners” creeps in, it’s unclear if he’s evoking Nine Inch Nails or Drake. Ostensibly it’s a sad song about a heartless lover “breaking promises,” but he still takes a moment to remind us to “pump, pump, pump it up.” This is a guy, after all, who likes to be photographed in a fringed leather jacket.

The album’s spirits rise and fall with alarming suddenness, but isn’t that what obsessive love is like? The anguish of “Flatliners” gives way to the bouncy defiance of “When the Lights Turn Out.” If he sold this song to Rhianna, it would absolutely be a worldwide hit. Maybe this is his most direct bid for the big time as the melody is simply irresistible, but I hope he doesn’t tread any closer to mainstream songwriting. The song is catchy, but the lyrics lack the attitude of his best work.

The middle of the album suffers from the sequencing of the songs. We get bogged down in three straight tracks of middling tempos and tempered ambition. The kind of lonely longing that was so edgy on his last record is neutered here, and it lacks energy. These songs (“Alone,” “Eclipse,” and “Turn Me Up”) will be perfect for soundtracking primetime dramas, but they won’t make my “best of Twin Shadow” mixtape.

The remainder of the album proves that Twin Shadow is more than ready for the music videos, the dark rock clubs, and anthemic summer nights. “I’m Ready” and “Old Love/New Love” make a killer combo that lifts you up and then drops you right into the center of the dancefloor. “To the Top” is epic, though whether it’s more reminiscent of Prince or Survivor probably depends on the intensity of your affection for Twin Shadow. Despite its muddled middle, Eclipse is the right album for the moment. These are songs of sex and broken hearts that make you want to move your body and do something impulsive.