When Years & Years released their last album, Palo Santo, nearly four years ago, they were a trio. In the subsequent years, the group went through various changes resulting in a new version of Years & Years for third album Night Call. It’s now just lead singer Olly Alexander, exerting full creative control of the album, making the music feel more personal and refined to Alexander’s specific taste. It plays as an exploration of what it means to be a gay pop star, influenced by icons of the community and sung with a tenacious spirit.

Taking years to craft and develop, Alexander wrote nearly 20 songs for the record before deciding to scrap nearly all of them and start from scratch. The result is a record that feels more exploratory for Alexander, himself on the cover as an alluring siren whose silhouette on the rocks could seduce a sailor at any time of day. He described that Night Call is less about big heartbreaks and screw-you anthems, but a dance-pop record that oozes with sexuality and fluidity.

And this is true from opening song “Consequences,” where a driving electric beat is introduced by a shout from Alexander. “I was waiting for the moment you would change/ But that moment never came/ You’re gonna have to suffer,” he sings, signaling at an ex, or to someone being homophobic. Either way, it works as it melts into distorted vocals moving to a smooth beat.

Then there’s “Crave,” a track that features a swooning chorus about dreaming of the pain, the synthesized beat making perfect time alongside Alexander’s vocal intonations. On “Sweet Talker,” with Swedish producing duo Galantis, he sings about the man of his dreams who didn’t show when he needed him to. The bridge spirals, the music emulating the flashing of a disco ball above the dance floor.

The record was heavily shaped by the conclusion of the TV miniseries “It’s a Sin,” starring Alexander in the lead role. Documenting the AIDS crisis in London during the 1980s, its heavy content and high viewership left Alexander feeling stressed about returning to life performing on a stage.

Eventually feeling ready, he debuted his first solo endeavor with “Starstruck,” which sounds a bit like a song with which Abercrombie & Fitch fills store playlists. But even though it feels a bit too early 2000s, it’s worth a listen. There’s a simple hook, “I can’t help it/ I get starstruck around you,” which repeats with slight alternations and a steady beat.

Olly Alexander composed the album through the lens of both fantasy and hedonism, aiming to examine the freedom and pain life presents, especially as a queer performer. Take the most obvious example, “Intimacy,” where he sings about promiscuity and gay relationships. “I’m not one for casual intimacy/ Maybe one day something will change in me,” he sings before a voice skips and repeats “give me your love.” This is one of the album’s best.

Night Call seeps in an undeniable influence from artists like Elton John and Kylie Minogue that helps to simulate a throwback feel. In fact, on the deluxe version of the record, there’s a remix of “Starstruck” with Minogue as well as “A Second To Midnight,” the song the two released last year. If that doesn’t indicate her impact on the queer community, what does?

Other highlights include the sexually charged deluxe track “Muscle” and the glistening “Make It Out Alive,” where Alexander wonders if he’ll ever be the same after the end of a relationship. “I just wish I had the courage to see the truth,” he sings, channeling his uncertainty through another dance-pop beat. This is an album built to be played on dance floors at gay bars. It’s freeing, balanced and an impressive step forward for Alexander’s solo career.

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