Wavves has a new album out and its reputability is perhaps debatable. You might think that Wavves has simply produced another set of beach (not surf) rock songs happily suitable for any real life poppy event. Or you might think that Wavves has, in fact, progressed and created an album that’s on message with the band’s past vibes while bringing us something a little new and a little extra. I am in the latter camp and glad of it.

As a musician (and I imagine as a human) Nathan Williams knows himself and as a band, Wavves know themselves. The band’s fourth album Afraid of Heights, released March 26 on Mom + Pop/Warner Records, is an easy and successful continuation of its repertoire. Williams has created tracks that have matured the band’s sound enough without diluting the Wavves we know and love. Williams’ and now semi-permanent collaborator bassist Stephen Pope took almost a year to create this album and the result is Wavves’ most clean-cut and well-produced album to date.

What’s so impressive about Afraid of Heights is how textured and subtly layered it is. In true Wavves fashion, you never feel that you’re listening to particularly intricate or demanding music — where that sentiment might have been basically true for some of the band’s previous albums, there’s more to this record than meets the ear. Masked by characteristically simple lyrics and limited-chord riffs, tracks like “Dog” and title track “Afraid of Heights” introduce a multidimensional aspect to William’s songwriting that only helps to confirm his musical development. Additionally, this is the most intentionally composed album, with lower-tempo tracks interspersed appropriately with the more expected fuzzy punk ones.

In fact, the album opens with an ethereal bells that (while initially misleading because there is little airy about this record) set us up for opening track “Sail to the Sun,” a beautifully harsh guitar-driven song. Wavves is still dominated by these heartening guitar riffs and I doubt that this will ever change, but there’s more to it now. This album introduces interplay of vocal harmonies that, if listened to hard enough, can convince a wavering audience that Williams is, in fact, developing as a songwriter. And there you have it – my side of the argument in which Wavves has successfully done it again and done it better.

To make up your own mind, you can download Afraid of Heights on iTunes and check out their upcoming tour dates here.