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**1/2 CREEPER LAGOON

TAKE BACK THE UNIVERSE (AND GIVE ME YESTERDAY)

(DreamWorks)

Creeper Lagoon’s debut, I Become Small and Go, was one of ’98’s coolest surprises — a gilded indie-pop gem released on the Dust Brothers’ Nickelbag imprint whose canny melodies, crafty loops, and covert samples registered at near-subconscious levels. As you might expect, Creeper’s major-label coming-out party airbrushes singer Ian Sefchick’s geeky countenance (but not his clever way with words) and smooths over some of the band’s idiosyncratic tendencies in favor of louder guitars and arena-ready crunch. But that’s not to say that Universeßisn’t without its diverse charms or sly pop payoffs. They just happen to crop up between the primary, Smashing Pumpkin–colored lines of more pedestrian alterna-rock anthems like “Wrecking Ball” and “Chance of a Lifetime.”

Homegrown beats and squiggly guitars propel “Sunfair” toward a loopy chorus; “Dead Man Saloon” buzzes with impish Imperial Teen spirit. There’s a laid-back, summery vibe to tracks like “Here We Are” and “Lover’s Leap” that brings to mind recent Flaming Lýps — or, closer to home, Wheat (which makes sense: Lips/Wheat producer David Fridmann gets one of four producer credits here). At times, the disc sounds like a bright, promising rock band at work finding their footing and perfecting their swing. At others, it feels like a concession to playing in the big leagues.

— Jonathan Perry