Unpretentiousness is as much a core ingredient of Fastball as cayenne is of chili.

It starts with the title of their ninth studio album: Sonic Ranch, named for the west Texas studio where the band gathered to record these 10 tunes. I mean, sure—why not? Then there’s the album cover design, which consists of two color photos of the trio hanging out at said ranch that look more like scrapbook snapshots than album artwork. There’s even a black and white on the inside of the guys waiting at an airport luggage carousel. Oh, the glamour of rock and roll!

No, this band—which consists, as always, of singer-songwriters Miles Zuniga (vocals, guitars) and Tony Scalzo (vocals, bass, guitar, keys), with Joey Shuffield (drums, percussion) manning the kit—is like your favorite greasy spoon diner. The fact that you have a pretty good idea going in what you’re gonna get is part of the charm, because you know you’re gonna like it, and it will definitely fill you up.

The latest in a series of strong latter-day albums from the band opens with lead single “Rather Be Me Than You,” a Scalzo number that’s classic Fastball: hooky and punchy and instantly hummable, with a sardonic lyric about a compulsive liar who’s constantly racing to cover their own tracks. Depending on your mood and circumstances, you could interpret it as being about a treacherous ex, a duplicitous frenemy, or an infamous political figure.

Shifting gears as they are wont to, the boys follow with Zuniga’s suitably airy-and-spacy “Daydream,” a pushing rock number that reminds of Fountains of Wayne’s “Super Collider.” Then Zuniga’s White Album-esque “Hummingbird” offers an insightful, incisive look at a person on the run from themself: “You’ve seen everything you can see / Still it doesn’t make you happy… Are you afraid of what you’ll find / If you sit still with your mind?”

The sharp, punchy “Get You Off My Mind” features the solo and unison lead vocals that make Fastball such a rich listening experience: Scalzo and Zuniga’s voices are distinct enough to be different yet similar enough to be complementary, and it’s a beautiful thing when their voices coalesce around a memorable vocal melody. Meanwhile, the propulsion that Sheffield and Scalzo generate in the rhythm section makes for delicious power-pop goodness, topped off with some pleasantly crinkly guitar near the close.

The remainder of the album sees the trio delving into a series of familiar yet welcome sonic frames. “Grey Skies Blue” is Zuniga’s requisite Dylanesque ballad, leading into the co-written, cinematic surf-noir number “America.” (I’ve gotta believe these guys watched a lot of midnight movies in their day…) The song also serves as a biting satirical critique of the present moment, which is a neat trick, because how do you satirize a reality that already feels like satire? Next up, “Let Love Back In Your Heart” starts in fourth gear, a driving, sunny Scalzo number.

“On And On” takes its time developing, but it’s worth the wait for this airy, loose map of a relationship that drifts in and out of focus as time passes (“The years flew like a bullet from a gun / And time don’t mean a thing when you're young”), building to a rich, thrumming crescendo. “The Island Of Me” offers another of Zuniga’s lonely, dusty, gently melodramatic numbers.

Closer “I’ll Be On My Way” adopts a late-night-lounge-singer-at-the-piano vibe for a winking Scalzo tune about a loan shark who’s feeling wistful about his work. “You needed a favor, I came to your aid / You always knew that I expected to be paid… I’d never turn my back on you, why do you hide from me? / Come on, you’re above this, show a little dignity.”

This time around, Fastball benefits from strong support from producers David Garza (Fiona Apple) and John Fields (Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus), who help fill out these arrangements with keyboards and guitars, not to mention marimba and accordion. It’s always distinctively Fastball, but with added variety and texture to the arrangements.

As we’ve come to expect, the heart of Sonic Ranch lies in its smart hooks and savvy lyrics that offer insight and punchlines in equal abundance. And if after almost three decades in the game Fastball can sometimes start to feel a little familiar, this listener is a hundred percent good with that. There are times in life when rock and roll comfort food is exactly what you want—or even what you need.

Rating: B+

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