An ascending chord preceding the lyrics “Gallantly rise/Strike spears of light/Inside my eyes/Over the fields/Where we believed/Our love had died,” sung by singer Alisa Xayalith, is heard in the upbeat opening track to The Naked and Famous’ second studio album, “In Rolling Waves.”

The Naked and Famous is an electronic-rock quintet from New Zealand. The band released their debut album, “Passive Me, Aggressive You” back in 2010. The album features key tracks like “Punching in a Dream” and the colorful “Young Blood,” which has been featured in Trident and Canon commercials and covered by artists like Jessie J. The band’s electronic-rock tone sounds like something of a hybrid mix of the groups The Joy Formidable and MGMT with a poppy twist.

“Passive Me, Aggressive You” debuted at number one in the band’s home country. After the album’s release, the group’s fame skyrocketed over the course of the next two years, as they have performed over 200 shows in 24 countries, sold 500,000 albums worldwide, released two EPs, and licensed their music to a slew of TV shows, films and commercials.

After touring, the band settled in Los Angeles to begin recording their second LP, “In Rolling Waves”. The end result was an album that shied away from the bubble-gum synth-rock sound of “Passive Me, Aggressive You” to a more alternative sound that utilizes more guitar tones.

“In Rolling Waves” dives into new terrestrial waters compared to “Passive Me, Aggressive You.” The band’s first album was defined by its pop flavor, danceable beats and the occasional use of heavy guitar riff-raff caused by lead guitarist, Thom Powers. “In Rolling Waves” explores much moodier territory with tracks like “Waltz” and “To Move with Purpose.”

“Waltz” is an ambient track with ghost-like guitar and tradeoff vocals between Xayalith and Powers that comes off as one of the band’s more mature tracks. The track “We Are Leaving,” opens powerfully enough to take the listener to outer space with Xayalith’s soft-spoken vocals, while celestial synthesizers escalate to a chaotic point of guitars and clashing drums. “Golden Girl” is a calm humdrum of synth drones blended smoothly with Xayalith’s soothing half-whispered lyrics. The album also features a number of heavier songs to rock out to, such as “What We Want” and “The Mess.’

“Hearts Like Ours” is the album’s first single, beginning slowly with quick electric guitar strumming and a jingling tambourine.  Xayalith opens the track by singing “Orders in to rise and lines/We’re alone but side by side/We hate to dream we hate to dream/Nothing here is what it seems,” giving the song a Wonderland type of aesthetic. “Hearts Like Us” takes its time to build up, then releases its colorful dance beats in the band’s traditional sense.

The most distinguishable tune from “In Rolling Waves” is the aptly named “Rolling Waves.” Airy vocals, pulsating synth and chiming guitars swirl around to make the listener feel as if they are tumbling like the track’s namesake. The song’s chorus soars into a tumult of drums while Xayalith stretches out the lyrics “like rolling waves,” creating a sense of waves crashing. “Rolling Waves” is the album’s most rock-orientated track, with heavier drums and guitars than the rest of the album.

Due to its slow buildups and releases into beautiful organized chaos, The Naked and Famous’ “In Rolling Waves” is riddled with significant moments and flooring tracks. While this technique may come off as a bit repetitive to some, it is executed quite well by the group. “In Rolling Waves” is a step up from their debut album with the band’s new mature and experimental turn which does not disappoint.

Nathalie Sczublewski can be reached at [email protected]