Nada Surf, ‘The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy’

There’s a certain sound that Nada Surf has mastered, a transcendent propulsion of ringing guitars and jet-engine rhythm section that’s always been layered alongside more circumspect tracks. On “The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy’’ the band seems to shrug and say, “What if we just did this all the time?’’ Just two songs stray more than a whit from the constant rush of release: the slightly tamped down (but only slightly) “Let the Fight Do the Fighting’’ and the fingerpicked acoustic that resolves into a more open and measured electric anthem of “When I Was Young.’’ The rest of the album is, despite accents like the glockenspiel in “Jules And Jim’’ and the analog synth line in “The Moon Is Calling,’’ so unrelentingly full-on that it takes on an almost punk purity. “No Snow on the Mountain’’ contains a chorus so lushly melodic and harmonically satisfying that it’s almost a parody of power-pop perfection. The lack of variety is ultimately overwhelming, but there are worse problems for an album to have than nonstop joy. (Out today) MARC HIRSH