An album is often thought of as snapshot of where the artist is at the time, and it’s common to look to the record’s lyrics for a sliver of insight into his mental inner sanctum. But other times it’s not as straightforward as that. It could simply be a series of character studies, a collection of lyrical exercises, or the result of long simmering thoughts. It’s the later that seems to be case for Cymbals Eat Guitars’ third album, LOSE (Barsuk Records). The album’s thematic framework is based around the death of frontman Joseph D’Agostino’s best friend, Ben High, of a heart condition seven years ago.

But LOSE isn’t a po-faced elegy to a friend. It’s a energetically dynamic record that celebrates that friendship, and at once is also a love letter to his time spent growing up in New Jersey. There’s some bold letter, all caps references to the Garden State, such as on “Jackson,” but there are also a number of one-liners and asides that will please the Jersey trainspotters. But D’Agostino also taps into the universal ennui of youth, when hours of nothing to do is wasted away at strip malls. That such disdain is balanced with nostalgia for that time shows the complexity of the songwriting. D’Agostino shows a talent for mining a narrative, revealing both the smallest details as well as honest emotions.

And yet the strongest writing wouldn’t be so engaging without the proper backing to support it. On LOSE Cymbals Eat Guitars’ musical evolution is striking. They’ve retained the frantic attack of their earlier albums, but it’s juxtaposed with relatively minimalistic moments. And while most of the songs stay comfortably in the three- to four-minute zone, the band also stretches out, as on the centerpiece “Laramie,” which clocks in at a robust eight minutes. With songs full of ideas and movement, LOSE is a perfect balance of form and function.