For many bands, the further their careers progress, the trickier it gets to do something new. The Twilight Sad has avoided that problem by changing course with every album, so it makes sense that the band would step away from the cold, industrial, Andrew Weatherall–assisted sounds of its previous album, No One Can Ever Know, to go to a different place for its latest, Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave (FatCat Records). Still, the Scottish trio hasn’t entirely abandoned the lessons learned on previous albums. There is the wall of noise of the first record and the unusual instrumentation of the second. And while the electronic influence of the third remains, it doesn’t guide Nobody. Instead, those sounds are placed in the background while the guitars sit front and center. Though there is also an element of emotional coldness, what’s undeniable is the full-blooded force of the proceedings.

The overwhelming power of the performances results not from cranked up volume, but instead by a sheer force of will that demands attention. The band has something to say and they’re going to make sure you hear it. As such, the record feels both epic and intimate at the same time. Songs like “It Never Was the Same” feel like an arena-sized declaration, but also something that could be overheard in the backroom of a bar. It’s as if they’re addressing both the world and one specific person. Credit and praise have to be given to singer James Graham, whose voice is a lighthouse in the fog and whose unapologetic earnestness and attempt to connect ground the record. The Twilight Sad has made a flat out excellent album that has a foot in the past and an eye towards the future.