In 2006, Justin Timberlake brought sexy back, and in 2018, he’s trying to do it again while being a married dad, maintaining relevance and staring down 40. That’s a lot for any pop star to juggle and a bit too much for Timberlake as his new album reveals.

“Man of the Woods,” released Friday, is Timberlake’s fifth album and marks new territory for the former NSYNC star. He’s always been known for sugary hooks and dancefloor-bait songs, but Timberlake is most successful on the new album when he stops playing pop-star and focuses on his new passion, family — though the whole album doesn’t fit that narrative.

On songs like “Flannel” and the title track, “Man of the Woods,” Timberlake abandons the gooey basslines and keyboards typical of pop music in favor of strummed guitars and warm melodies that wouldn’t stand out at a campfire sing-along. “Flannel” in particular is a charming ditty about giving his wife his ragged flannel so she stays safe from the cold. This genuine affection is a good look for Timberlake.

That being said, this is not an acoustic album and even the quietest tracks have a pop sheen, with bouncing drum machines undercutting everything. Just because this is Timberlake’s version of a woodsy record doesn’t mean it actually qualifies as one.

The opening song, “Filthy,” is the most enjoyable track. It opens with big guitars and beating drums like theater curtains being drawn back on an elaborate stage show and features the stickiest bassline of Timberlake’s career. Timberlake’s voice sounds lean and agile, shooting off come-ons like, “put your filthy hands all over me.”

The second track, “Midnight Summer Jam,” represents everything wrong with “Man of the Woods.” It’s forgetful, repetitive and painfully long. It’s built around a funk guitar line, but Timberlake doesn’t bring the hooks to capitalize on it. It feels undercooked, the kind of song the listener gets tired of after 40 seconds; too bad there’s another four minutes to go.

“Say Something” features Timberlake and Chris Stapleton strumming acoustic guitars and harmonizing brilliantly, but the chorus is so repetitive it never fully steps into the “classic anthem” status it desperately craves to reach.

Compounding the embarrassment is “Supplies,” Timberlake’s clumsy attempt at trap music. The song bears all the trademarks of Migos’ style, with the skittering snare hits, the stiff robotic bass and a guy yelling random nonsense in the background. It feels like a parody or something Timberlake’s friends in The Lonely Island would write.

The problem isn’t a lack of talent; Timberlake still makes it sound easy, but it is a failure to provide captivating songs. “Man of the Woods” could have been a stronger statement if Timberlake had committed to making a fully introspective record or if he at least developed the pop songs more. Instead, he tries to play both positions, and it doesn’t work.

Some of the lyrics are questionable as well. Men should not be singing lines like, “tonight if I take it too far, that’s okay” in 2018. That line comes from the title track, a charming low-key tune about his wife, and, while Timberlake likely means no offense, it remains exactly the wrong message to send out in a time where abusive men are being held to task for their behavior.

It doesn’t help that Timberlake is only getting older, and he’s only got a couple years left before his flirty pop music starts to sound cheesy or even creepy. This is not music designed to come out of a middle-aged mouth.

There’s fun to be had with “Man of the Woods.” Songs like “Wave” and “Montana” are breezy, if unmemorable, excuses to dance, but Timberlake needs to reorient his approach if he’s really in it for the long haul.