CD of The Week

New Zealand quartet Yumi Zouma have just dropped their latest full-length LP called No Love Lost To Kindness. After four EPs and four albums, the wistful Kiwis have begun to eschew their synth-y dream-pop roots for a heavier indie rock vibe. The change is more of a progression than a complete 180; there's still plenty of cloudy and gaze-y melodies here, but the songs are more emotional and laid out with richer instrumentation and a crisp, driving production. The bolder hooks and darker melodies are elevated by YZ members Josh Burgess and Charlie Ryder, who handle production for this album.

This new approach is evident immediately as "Cross My Heart and Hope To Die" kicks off the album with a vibe-y guitar riff that really sets the scene. "Phoebe's Song" drops in the band’s first-ever key change (inspired by Macy Gray, apparently) and a nostalgic Nokia ringtone. YZ jumps right into the dive-y, smoky grooves of a late-night jazz club on "Chicago 2am," while "Cowboy Without a Clue" adds flourishes of sitar, courtesy of Kumar Kishor. Additionally, we hear pedal steel and harmonica on "Every False Embrace." Drummer Olivia Campion is at her best on this record, deftly driving these songs to fruition; check "Bashville on the Sugar" for some expert drum 'n' bass emulations.

Lead singer Christie Simpson lays bare some of her most vulnerable lyrics here on tracks like "Drag," which deals with her reckoning of a recent ADHD diagnosis. She belts through the feedback on "Judgement Day" with declarations of a tentative new love. The aforementioned "Bashville" could be a love song both set in and about the NYC subway; "Listened to the screaming from the curves in the tracks, The brakes they burn when they weave between our verbal gaps." And "95" (yes, that 'beloved' 95) is about the oft-heard topic of musicians navigating life on the road. It also parallels the plights of rock stars with athletes who maintain a youthful condition until life slowly winds you down. In keeping with this new sonic direction, Christie and the band sound like they're having way too much fun spitting "venom and rage" on "Blister."

The band enters its second decade with a welcomed development that opens up avenues of opportunity and growth. Similar to contemporaries like Jay Som and Hatchie, Yumi Zouma are beginning to push the limits of indie rock. No Love Lost To Kindness is the kind of album that keeps core fans engaged while also drawing in new ears eager for a heady dive into the future of alternative pop music.

Catch Yumi Zouma here in Philly on May 1st at The First Unitarian Church with Kiwi Jr.