Despite finding the New Zealand pair in full creative control of their artistic vision, Don't Feed the Pop Monster is an uneven third outing from sibling duo Broods.

Less intense or immediate than their first two efforts, Pop Monster abandons the chilly synth droning of those albums in favor of brighter, warmer textures.

Thawed out and energized, Georgia and Caleb Nott present a collection of agreeable indie pop that sometimes thrills but, more often than not, just provides base comfort that puts them in unmemorable limbo.

As with Conscious and Evergreen, the singles are the best of the bunch, and an album's worth of "Peach" and "Hospitalized" would have been welcome.

Other standouts -- such as the yearning "To Belong" and the chipper "Everything Goes (Wow)" -- prevent the album from slipping too far into precious oblivion; however, it's the abundance of delicate and sometimes detached moments (like "Why Do You Believe Me?" and "Falling Apart") that slow the pacing of Pop Monster.

Elsewhere, incongruous inclusions hint at exciting possibilities for the future (the Interpol-esque guitars on "Dust" and the jarring homage to early-era Garbage "Old Dog") but disrupt the flow and mood of the neighboring songs.

At its best, Pop Monster injects plenty of fresh ideas into the Broods' repertoire, offering a handful of confident and polished gems that could have made for a stunning album if they had just sharpened their focus.

Otherwise, lackluster inclusions that echo Lorde's sophomore shift dull the effort, which distracts from the excitement that occasionally shines through.