Charlie Puth, “Charlie.”

Pop singer Charlie Puth returns with his first full-length effort since 2018’s Voicenotes, Charlie. On the dozen songs here, he tries to capture a more personal self-portrait.

Most of the tracks feature a subdued synth and loop combination, allowing for Puth’s soulful harmonization to do the heavy lifting. The opening track acts as more of a kiss-off, recounting the story of lost love following a messy breakup.

“After all the things you out me through/ Yeah, you’re delirious/ That’s hilarious,” he sings.

Some songs veer more into the autobiographical. Case in point: the also self-referential “Charlie Be Quiet!” The track isn’t particularly quiet, mixing in lightly distorted guitar playing, giving it a pinch of personality. “Light Switch ” mixes things up with an understated upbeat melody with a warm synth that matches the bass groove.

“There’s a First time For Everything” starts with an ’80s synth flair before shifting toward a more contemporary pop song. The songs are bouncy and fun without necessarily bringing anything new to the table. We’ve heard this from Puth before.

The ’80s vibes stick around for the synth-driven “Smells Like Me,” an ode to the singer’s lingering scent. It’s a lyric that’s equal parts inventive and odd.

Puth recruits Jung Kook from BTS on the smooth and funky “Left and Right,” their voices harmonizing fairly well, each with a distinct upper register. The pre-release single is already a crowd pleaser, and that’s why it came early. That vibe carries through on bluesy pop cut “Loser,” which builds on its predecessor with even more synths.

Want more breakup jams? The pace slow considerably on “When You’re Sad I’m Said,” a piano-driven cut that’s sorrowful and bleary-eyed. This one’s about taking back a lost lover. Puth is nothing if not a believer in second chances. Or third chance. “Marks On My Neck” picks up the pace as Puth sings of reconciling a lost love. Much like “Smells Like Me,” the song has some peculiar wording choices. “Tears On Piano” then brings back the heavy harmonization with a groove-heavy synth instrumental.

After a record full of breakups, Charlie Puth comes to the ultimate revelation that, “I Don’t Think That I Like Her.” On the track, the singer laments his lost love with a more pessimistic view of his chances for a healthy relationship.

“They’re all the same/ They just want to see me fall apart,” Puth sings.

He makes a declaration with the album closer: “No More Drama.” This mid-tempo ballad make some assertions that he won’t repeat the same mistakes. It’s positive, at least, but how much you believe that may vary.

Puth remains a talent as a vocalist, though Charlie doesn’t break any new ground for him. His search for love—and a lover—sometimes makes for a compelling narrative, but these songs tend to blend into one another.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.