Miniature Tigers’ airy pop music paired with its lighthearted tales of past lovers made its debut album, Tell It to the Volcano, perfect for ushering in the hotter seasons. Fortress, the band’s second full-length album, is a bit of a departure from its first release but still captures the heat and carefree nature of summer.

At first listen, I was disappointed to find that Miniature Tigers had abandoned the simple melodies found in Tell It to the Volcano to experiment with an array of different instruments in Fortress. For “Goldskull,” the first single off Fortress, the boys teamed up with Texas’ own Alan Palomo of Neon Indian to produce a song that is truer to Palomo’s popular electronic style than the band’s own signature sound. Still, the song is catchy and, unlike their old songs, worth dancing to — revealing the band’s widened range.

Fortunately, the rest of the album is only moderately influenced by the band’s newfound style and does a better job of weaving in new elements with its original steel guitar and drum sounds.

Songs such as “Bullfighter Jacket” and “Japanese Woman Living in My Closet” draw the listener in from the get-go by planting hooks in the beginning of the song. Yet, they continue to captivate the audience with their peculiar, but unfortunately shallow, lyrics.

The true gem of Fortress proves to be the song “Egyptian Robe,” which, unsurprisingly, recalls the sound of the band’s previous album the most. “Egyptian Robe” is a soft tune that relies on the captivating voice of front man Charlie Brand rather than the complexities of Miniature Tigers’ new sound. The lyrics dreamily compare a former summer fling to an ancient Egyptian love affair, describing a lover as “she descends from the stairs of an ancient lair with two cats on her feet.” The song continues by repeating the line, “How could you not realize it was me, all of the turquoise jewelry you’ve received?” The repetition creates a trance-like and infectious melody that is impossible not to sing along with.

Fortress is a solid 40 minutes of upbeat pop and catchy lyrics. But still, the album is missing the charm of Miniature Tigers’ original album, and although it contains a more mature sound, it lacks the depth to be more than just a good summer album.