STRFKR, “Parallel Realms.”

STRFKR mined its demos and musical ideations for the electro-pop quartet’s eighth album, Parallel Realms. But once those songs were written, the band pulled the foot off the pedal and handed control over to others to land these songs in new territory. The result is a record that matches exploratory musical ambition with memorable and infectious pop delight.

Mixing in some of the concepts from 2020 instrumental album Ambient 1, this time around a handful of “interspace” tracks serve as interludes building a natural musical bridge between songs.

Parallel Realms is lush with synths, danceable rhythms and fuzzy guitar parts that provide the pulse of the record. At over a dozen full-length songs in addition to the “interspace” interludes, the album is stacked with material. There’s a decidedly ’80s-like joy that shines through right from the start. Bouncy opener “Always – Never” boasts ear-worm harmonies and a stripped-down electronic backbeat amplified by synth.

“Holding On” has a suave orchestral snark with a rhythmic groove and layered vocals that sound like a choir. By inviting mixer Chris Coady to put his touch on the aesthetics, STRFKR emphasized not looking for nuance and quiet but filling the empty spaces with sound. “Feelings” taps into this. With a hooky chorus and lavish synths bursts, it’s an accessible anthem that allows everyone to connect with the music without pretext. Vocalist Joshua Hodges adeptly hits the high notes as well as the low, showing off a dynamic range.

The no-frills “Together Forever” delivers danceable pop-rock. The guitar work is understated but adds just the right ingredient to the upbeat and anthemic track. Things get a little spacier on the atmospheric “Under Water – In Air.” Percussive handclaps provide a counterpoint to the reverb washout that fills that musical spectrum. “Armatron” brings the tempo back up, with one of the most memorable and dialed-in tracks on the record. That energy continues with synth-heavy bass stomper “Chizzlers.”

There’s a cohesiveness that defines Parallel Realms. STRFKR succeeded in bringing that vision to life. Only a few of the songs occupy similar space or identity, but those are few and far between. More often than not, the band’s ship lands in a different foreign land every time.

The album is by and large a crowd pleaser. The second half creeps a little closer toward experimentation, such as on the expressive “Carnival” or the moody and fiery “Lot Of Nice Things.”

Most of the band is stripped away entirely on “Waited For It,” an electro-heavy tunes that pulls out all the stops with synths and loops. The album’s biggest outlier is closer “Leaving,” which clocks in at over seven minutes, most of which is an extended atmospheric jam session. Parallel Realms succeeds because its both accessible and adventurous.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.