Jeff Zeigler helped shape the modern indie sound of Philadelphia by serving as producer/engineer on albums from Kurt Vile and The War On Drugs. But on the self-titled, debut full-length from his own quartet, Arc In Round, Zeigler chooses to craft his own sonic identity with a batch of taut, layered numbers that eschew the hazy, expansive guitar jams of his celebrated cohorts in favor of a more refined, textured approach. And while that relaxed vibe has propelled Vile and War On Drugs into a growing spotlight, the twelve studied, compelling tracks on Arc In Round should find these fellow Philadelphians a swelling audience of their own.

Zeigler formed Arc In Round from the fragments of the overlooked shoegaze outfit Relay, along with co-songwriter Mikele Edwards, Matt Ricchini and Josh Meakim, and the band released two well-received EPs over the last few years before embarking on their debut LP. And the album is imbued with Zeigler’s studio perfection as well as the inspired, Motorik pulse of the tight band themselves. The record launches with the dynamic insistence of ‘II,’ with Ricchini’s urgent drumbeat eventually blending fluidly with the band’s subtle but soaring sonic flourishes.

The playful pop bounce of ‘One-Sided’ contains echoes of both Broadcast and Belle and Sebastian in its buoyant melody, and serves clear notice that while the album is cohesive overall, the sprightly adventurousness of the songs keep surprising the listener from one engaging track to the next. The hypnotic churn of ‘Said Astray,’ in addition to being one of the longest songs on the album, is also one of its best, as the experimental sweep of each layer meshing well with the evocative guitar riff.

‘Volume Sets All The Time,’ while still being awash in guitars, still manages to take a sharp turn in sound and scope, with Edwards’ voice floating over the squall of feedback and keys. The middle section of the record takes on a darker tone, with the moody throb of ‘Hallowed’ and the soaring electronic burst of ‘Spirit’ helping anchor the halfway point. Things get decidedly airy on ‘Time Spent,’ which is built around a fuzzed-out, Vile-like expansive guitar riff that is slowly augmented by a flood of inventive electronic flourishes.

The ethereal swell of ‘Sounder’ takes a bit long to reveal itself, the slow-burning, unhurried nature of the track not proving, in the end, absorbing enough. And when it’s followed by the second inconsequential, cursory instrumental number on the album, the second half of the record decidedly begins to drift. Things are righted quickly by the vigorous, haunting beat of ‘For Concern,’ which slowly explodes in a fury of blissful noise during its cacophonous finish, snapping the album blissfully back to life in the process.

‘Weight Of The World’ closes the record out strongly with an imaginative drum beat and equally inventive guitar work, but is over in a flash, leaving the listener wanting more. Arc In Round don’t fit comfortably within the confines of the current indie sound of Philly, but these four talented musicians are indeed crafting their own style and tone which draws equally from the past as well as modern day, while boldly defining their own way forward.