I’m a fairly casual fan of Cage the Elephant. In other words, while I consider “Melophobia” an irreplaceable work of art, I can’t name more than two tracks off the group’s 2009 self-titled album. “Tell Me I’m Pretty,” the band’s latest effort, represents Cage the Elephant’s fourth studio album, and was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.

Although the album maintains the group’s signature ethereal tone and is full of compelling instrumentals, it lacks the lyrical intrigue of “Melophobia,” and songs including “Cry Baby” and “How Are You True” could easily lose 30 seconds of repetitive fluff. The album includes a couple of stand-out tracks, such as “Mess Around,” which maintains a unique and engaging sound. “Portuguese Knife Fight,” the tenth and final track on the album, similarly holds an active musical line.

Overall, however, the direction of the album is unclear, particularly in the middle tracks, making the album’s mood ambiguous. For instance, in “Too Late to Say Goodbye,” it’s haunting and incredulous, while in “How Are You True” it’s laid-back and sweet. These shifts in mood take away from the album’s cohesiveness, although the haunting and relaxed tones seem to more or less alternate from song to song.

Although Cage the Elephant doesn’t grow much from “Melophobia” with “Tell Me I’m Pretty,” they don’t digress, either, and the album offers singles that have the potential to become hits on alternative radio, as “Mess Around” already has.