Buzzcocks are possibly the strangest case of not burning out or fading away. As part of the first wave of British punk rock, their impact was immediate and lasting. They arguably (and accidentally) invented pop-punk, and Singles Going Steady, the collection of their early singles, is still included in the punk starter kit. Strangely, despite reuniting in 1989 after their 1981 breakup and returning to the studio in 1993 for a proper return, as well as an ongoing series of new releases, the perception of the Buzzcocks seems stuck in time. Even though they’re playing to possibly larger audiences than in their initial heyday and have remained a steady presence, it’s almost as if people don’t realize they’re an active band. Thankfully, they’re not ones to concern themselves with such things, and they’ve kept pushing on, now with their ninth studio album, The Way (1-2-3-4 Go! Records).

For those who may have lost track of the band, Buzzcocks are still fronted by Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle, who share guitar and vocal duties, backed by Chris Remmington on bass and Danny Farrant on drums. The Way is their first album since 2006’s Flat-Pack Philosophy and the first with this line-up, although Remmington and Farrant have been in the band since 2008 and 2006, respectively. If you haven’t been paying attention, you’ll be relieved to know that while they may not be able to dial up the speed the way they used to, Buzzcocks are largely unchanged. Though they may be technically better musicians, they’ve never lost any of the raw immediacy. Sure, Diggle may go off on the occasional tangent with his guitar solos, but he always has Shelley to anchor him. On the flipside, Diggle has always been there to toughen up Shelley.

As with the rest of the Buzzcocks catalog, songwriting and singing duties are split evenly over The Way’s 10 tracks. And while they do crank out some solid songs, this album isn’t necessary an example of Shelley and Diggle at the top of their game. The lack of Shelley’s signature love-wrought songs is noticeable as this time he looks outward for inspiration. Sometimes the approach hits solidly, like on “Chasing Rainbows/Modern Times,” and other times it flies like a wounded duck, as on the cringe-worthy social media skewering, “Virtually Real.” Thankfully, at the instances when the lyrics may falter, the performances never do. With the granite-solid rhythm section of Remmington and Farrant, Shelly and Diggle can be all that they can be. While there may be no instant classic, the record is a good showing, especially this far into their career, and cements the band in the here and now.