When Eef Barzelay is able to break through the traditional indie-pop structure, his contemplations and musings on life shine through.

As the singer-songwriter for Clem Snide, Barzelay’s lyrics are obviously the focal point while his new batch of songs remain faithful to the alt-country/pop formula. Everything from disdain of trends to metaphors involving Lucille Ball are addressed.

The trick to his success lies in his melodies. The tracks “Fill Me With Your Light” and “The Sound of German Hip-Hop” showcase the ways in which his quirky anecdotes and wordplay are complemented with relaxing hum-ability.

On the album closer, “Weird,” Barzelay successfully lashes at self-proclaimed individualists who go out of their way to be different.

It’s an interesting juxtaposition that doesn’t always work; on this album, safe, country-flavored pop is mixed with clever and eccentric lyrics.

The songs that don’t hit home are still nice enough but ultimately come off as filler when compared to the stronger tracks. “Collapse” plods along just as you would expect, and “When We Become” almost becomes grating with excess chorus.

Overall, the few gems here shine bright enough for some genuine smiles.