With a mix of rock, punk, and a kicking feel-good sound, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists return with a new album after nearly three years out of the studio. Released on March 9, “The Brutalist Bricks” continues with Ted Leo’s pseudo-falsetto, politicized lyrics and trademark guitar riffs. This time, the album has a mix of songs that exemplify Ted Leo’s musical capabilities, pulling influences from early punk rock and folk.

“The Brutalist Bricks” starts off with a style familiar to any Ted Leo fan: a catchy, infectious sound that makes you feel good to be alive. From there, most songs tend to blend a mix of in-your-face guitar riffs reminiscent of his previous work and a more laid back, subtle mix of guitar and bass. As a whole, the album is remarkably consistent; although most of the tracks aren’t exactly full hits, there aren’t any full misses either. But after a few listens, even the less catchy tunes start to grow on you.

Even though majority of the songs on the album are quite appealing, only a few are actually memorable, and even less, if any, will make it onto the Ted Leo greatest hits list. It tends to follow in the same expressive style that the band is known for, yet lacks any new creative input which would set this record apart from previous albums. Despite these flaws, “The Brutalist Bricks” is enjoyable, giving a more raw sound to Ted Leo’s repertoire. Unfortunately, it provides nothing majorly new or different than what we’ve heard before.

Check out the full album for yourself at http://myspace.com/tedleo