Tim Kasher may not be a genre onto himself, but he does occupy a good chunk of record store real estate. While not quite at Mike Patton levels of busyness, Kasher has an undeniably hefty back catalog. He has released nine albums and a handful of EPs as leader of Cursive, three full-lengths in four years as a solo artist, and four records as the leader of The Good Life. Actually, make that five, as Kasher has got the band back together for the band’s first release in eight years, Everybody’s Coming Down (Saddle Creek Records).

While originally conceived of as a side project for songs that weren’t quite right for Cursive, The Good Life quickly became a proper band with Kasher joined by Stefanie Drootin-Sensens (bass, vocals, and keyboards), Ryan Fox (guitars, keyboards, vocals, and electronic percussion), and Roger L. Lewis (drums and electronic percussion). Over the course of its tenure, the band has moved rather quickly from folkish leanings to a more mercurial entity. That being said, at this stage of the game you can probably guess what to expect sonically and lyrically. As a result, Everybody’s Coming Down may not be a revelation, but there are little touches here and there that keep things fresh.

While Kasher remains the band’s focal point, the other members’ contributions are just as vital to the album’s success. Drootin-Sensens’ background and duet vocals seem to anchor Kasher, who historically can be delightfully unhinged vocally, while her melodic bass lines seem to sit just right. Her partner in the rhythm section, Lewis has a style that is adaptable and direct without being flashy. Meanwhile, Fox’s and Kasher’s guitars interplay in a way that’s playful and doesn’t overshadow each other. The musical interactions of the band members are sensitive and sound like the choices of a unit, which makes the album hang together nicely. It’s important for when the album shifts styles because in less capable hands it would feel like a jarring mess.

Lyrically, Kasher steps slightly away from the introspective, occasionally self-loathing style that people most commonly associate with him. He still works in a casual narrative, at times conversational style, but he seems much more resigned than battling to get the demons out. Even when he’s singing, “We could’ve had a family, a littered legacy. Now instead of photo albums, it’s a house of record sleeves,” on “Midnight Is Upon Us,” it seems less like a personal confession and more of Kasher playing a role. In addition, Kasher isn’t afraid to be funny at times, like on “Holy Shit,” where he declares, “If body is a temple, it’s crumbling and can’t be renovated.”

While Everybody’s Coming Down may not necessarily be a concept record, there is a type of thematic thread as highlighted by the fact that the 33-second opener, “7 in the Morning,” seems to be an edited excerpt from the closing “Midnight Is Upon Us.” Or perhaps Kasher and company are just setting up the listener to expect such a conceptual move. But maybe one ought to just take off the grad school brain and just enjoy the album. After such a long run of heavy records, it’s nice to see a lighter touch from Kasher.