Belle and Sebastian’s newest musical effort in four years plays upon the band’s strengths while adding a new level of depth that only comes with age.

“Write About Love” preserves the Glasgow band’s signature melancholy-tinged, 1960s dream-pop sound and adds natural progression, complete with some of the bands catchiest and most complex compositions.

The typical Belle and Sebastian album brings forth images of a 16-year-old girl dancing to Nick Drake in a baby doll dress, daydreaming about running away with a boy she likes. This album explores what that girl may be thinking a few years later when she finds herself trapped in a cubicle.

The recurring theme in “Write About Love” explores how the real world gets in the way of the romantic idealism typical of youth. The lyrics move from joyous abandon to thoughtful rumination at the drop of a hat.

Tracks like “I’m Not Living in the Real World,” “Write About Love,” and “Come On Sister” are calls to arms against the daily grind and are sure to bring a spring to the step of even the most jaded of listeners.

The true underbelly of the album shines through on “Read the Blessed Pages” and “I Can See Your Future.” These reflective tracks trade in the band’s former touches of melancholy and replace it with a sense of wisdom, telling daydreaming office workers with desires to strum a guitar on stage to keep their chins up.

No song on the album feels like filler. Every track flows together nicely, letting the album pacing the album wonderfully, lending it to use as background noise during studying and for full-on in-car blaring.

When it comes down to it, “Write About Love” is anything and everything a Belle and Sebastian fan could want. It may take a couple of listens to sink in, but it ranks among the band’s best works to date.