Ducktails mastermind Matthew Mondale is going for it on “The Flower Lane,” his fifth full-length release under the pseudonym. The Real Estate guitarist raised eyebrows last year when he announced that fellow New Jersey natives Big Troubles would provide full-time support with additional contributions from the likes of Cults vocalist Madeline Follin and experimental MIDI artists Ford & Lopatin. This certainly appeared as a surprising development for a solo project that had traditionally positioned itself firmly in the Lo-Fi bedroom pop spectrum. The record possesses a newfound sense of gloss and cohesion. That being said, Mondale hasn’t abandoned his signature playful naïveté that rendered his previous work particularly endearing.

The introductory jangle of the opening track “Ivy Covered House” is strikingly reminiscent of Mondale’s other band, until he confidently lays down some phased out guitar lines as the chorus arrives. The echoed minimal strums and collegiate nostalgia of “Academy Avenue” bookends “The Flower Lane” with textbook Ducktails motifs. Sandwiched between those tracks is the heart of the album, which is advanced by the group’s overt forays into the yacht rock territory that has been successfully occupied by Canadians Destroyer, Mac Demarco, and Tops as of late.

It is readily apparent that the collection of soft rock odes holds up as the noticeable highlights on this release. Follin’s guest appearance on the dreamy “Sedan Magic” remains one of the record’s most earnest moments, providing a rare glimpse of sincere sentimentality. “Under Cover” and “Letter of Intent” prove that Ducktails is fully capable of crafting infectiously meticulous synth pop. Who would have guessed Ducktails, of all scrappy indie rockers, would make the effort to clean up his act. Still, Mondale’s new propensity for professionalism suits him well enough.