As I planned for this week’s blog, I realized something — the last formal album review I wrote was in September. So, after a period of guilt, I went to Wikipedia to see which albums come out today and choose one to review. I finally settled on Guster’s first studio album in five years, “Evermotion.” Guster streamed “Evermotion” on Spotify the week before its release, giving me ample time to listen to the band’s music.

I must mention one thing before I write any more, though — I didn’t know anything about Guster until the aforementioned visit to Wikipedia. But, I do think I’ve compiled a pretty OK knowledge of the band since then, or at least enough to review one of its albums.

Guster comprises lead vocalist/multi-instrumentalists Adam Gardner and Ryan Miller, backing vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Luke Reynolds and drummer Brian Rosenworcel. The band released its first album, “Parachute,” in 1991. Guster released five more albums before “Evermotion,” the last of which, “Easy Wonderful,” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart. Most know Guster for its fun and involved live shows, and the band has toured with artists such as Ben Folds and John Mayer.

For someone who hasn’t heard any Guster before, “Evermotion” is awkward at first — the band’s acoustic style sounds somewhat dated. However, after listening to it again, I began to develop a liking for “Evermotion.” Most songs feature mellow, acoustic-based backing, with electric guitar strums, typical rock drums and a bit of electronic instrumentation sprinkled in for good measure. Some parts even remind me of Beck’s Grammy-nominated “Morning Phase” and perhaps a little bit of Spoon’s “They Want My Soul.”

Gardner and Miller share vocal duties on the album, and their vocals are what really kept me listening. Sometimes, the pair teams up for interesting harmonies, but each is equally as good on his own. They use both their higher and lower registers well, and their vocals match the calming nature of Guster’s music. While “Evermotion” may not have any amazing notes, Gardner and Miller are both consistent in their vocals, which works well with other aspects of the album.

In terms of individual songs, “Evermotion” has focus, yet still allows for variation. “Endlessly” builds and falls in the right places, and even sounds like pop music sometimes — I could definitely see it as a future single. “Gangway” is more relaxed and features a prominent electric guitar, making it sounds more like rock music than some of the other tracks. The real standout, though, is the first single, “Simple Machine.” Based around a drum beat, bass-sounding synths and slightly-layered vocal effects, the song is the band’s most reminiscent of what’s on alternative radio today and is definitely first single material.

Listening to Guster wasn’t a bad experience. I’m not going to peg “Evermotion” as something career defining or one of the top albums of the year because, quite simply, it’s not. It’s still a good record, though, and you should definitely check it out the next time you want to chill out and relax.