If it seems like the move from electronic to analog, or analog to electronic has become somewhat of a tired eventuality for musicians looking to shake-up their sound, then tread lightly around reviews for Paracosm. It’s not that this is a completely false premise, or even a bad way to approach Washed Out’s latest LP. Lead singer and principal songwriter Ernest Greene hasn’t been shy about his desire to shift Washed Out’s instrumental palette from the synthetic into more analogue-based sounds. Still, as much as this record is led in the media by the idea of sonic transformation via a “return to nature” for one of the more successful electronic groups of the late-aughts, it would be a mistake not to see Paracosm’s striking accomplishments as underlined by much more.

Since Life of Leisure debuted in 2009, a part of Washed Out’s sound has been informed by an element of restraint. To be sure, Leisure’s dance-laden hooks were as immediate as they were effervescent and pupil-dilating, but the album’s instrumental variations never transcended beyond their expected chord progressions, with Greene’s vocals acting as a smooth, sonic governor. As much as Washed Out’s love of space opened up plenty of channels for reverb and delay, there were always corners and walls built in to hold the form. This restraint was carried into Within and Without as well, however, the hooks’ manicured edges were rounded out into seamless transitions, while the tracks opened up a new expanse of rhythms and harmonies for Greene to play in. The final minutes of “Echoes” are a swirling dance floor of shakers and astral snare hits, but everything remains above board, transitioning into deliberate, gorgeous creases of sound.

On Paracosm, the edges have started to fray. The structure leans a little under a wealth of new sounds and ideas. You can still count on Washed Out to dazzle with the kind of strobing disco-tinged grooves (“All I Know”, “Don’t Give Up”) that grabbed us in the first place. But Green’s newfound experiments with disorder are apparent, playing out beautifully alongside unearthed instruments like the Mellotron, Novatron, and Optigan organ.

“Entrance” opens the album with an instrumental track of cooing birds and bells panning back and forth. Soon a harp sweeps you from dreamy synth and crackling ratchet noises (á la Dntel) into “It All Feels Right”. It’s far from uncomfortable dissonance, but the interplay between the patterns only adds to the already elegant and surreal nature of Washed Out’s sound. Although Greene’s voice remains a steady compass through each track, never veering too far off the beaten path, it’s a welcome accompaniment to Paracosm’s more abstract moments. From the sounds of laughing and yelling that bookend “Don’t Give Up” to the piano bleeding through piercing synth and chopped-up radio frequency noise on the title track, the risks Greene takes to expand the songwriting on this effort elevate this album from a Washed Out record with new instruments, to a Washed Out record with new instruments that is also the best of the group’s career.