Even with the accelerated lifespan of a band these days, Surfer Blood has had quite the rollercoaster ride. From playing dive bars in support of their debut to signing with Warner Bros. and touring with the Pixies, a lot has happened in five years. Now, after only one major label album, the band has returned to the indie world for their third record, 1000 Palms (Joyful Nosie), which they recorded at home.

Back in 2009, Surfer Blood seemed like a breath of fresh air, or at least, a welcome diversion. With a delightfully slack, sort of beachy rock vibe—probably invoked both because of the band’s name and the fact that they’re from Florida—the band created unabashed pop vibes. But as the story often goes, with more cooks in the kitchen for the second record, Pythons, something was inevitably lost. But Surfer Blood seems to have realized that, as 1000 Palms has more in common with their debut than the sophomore release. There’s also DNA borrowed from Brian Wilson, with the band taking the opportunity to introduce harmonies on a larger scale, bring in some Afropop guitar parts, incorporate some ambient sounds, and also get a little wiggy with the guitar parts. It’s not a grand rejection of what has come before, but the band is playing around a little bit.

Thematically, 1000 Palms is an optimistic album, but not without slight twinges of regret peeking around every corner. For every line like, “You see the better part of me” (“Saber-Tooth and Bone”), there’s another one like, “Sometimes I feel lost and lonely in my skin” (“Feast/Famine”). While the inner life may be filled with turmoil, there’s always the flipside. And whereas it’s always easier to be cynical about such things, it’s nice to hear a record that wears its heart on its sleeve, though not literally. While mileage may vary for some people, there’s something nice about the fact that the lyrics don’t shy away from being kind of cheesy. Though it’s the sincerity that sells it, it also helps that the band’s performances are equally buoyant and assured. It’s fitting that Surfer Blood ended up on a label called Joyful Noise because 1000 Palms fits that description to a T.