Tim Kinsella has never sat still for too long, fitfully bounding from one wildly diverse project to the next (Cap’n Jazz, Owls, Friend/Enemy, Make Believe, and his flippantly titled solo effort Tim Kinsella(s) being just a few of the numerous bands he helped launch over the years). But Joan Of Arc have always seemed like the one constant amidst this sea of musical unrest that Kinsella has regularly immersed himself in, and with Life Like, the band’s 15th full-length, Kinsella has assembled a focused but turbulent new batch of songs, as well as a consummate collection of musicians that have helped him realize his wildly experimental artistic vision.

There has been a revolving door of talent that have joined Kinsella (the only constant member) in Joan Of Arc over the years. But in this new incarnation, he is joined by longtime collaborators Victor Villareal (Cap’n Jazz, Owls) on guitar, bassist Bobby Burg, and drummer Theo Katsaounis, who form a tight quartet that does away with the electronic indulgences and exploratory sampling that has been featured in Joan Of Arc’s past releases, in favor of a more straightforward (but still inventive) rock sound that, while being far from traditional, still comes across as a bit more restrained than their tempestuous but uneven recent output.

Life Like kicks off with the Howl-like paean, ‘I Saw The Messed Blinds Of My Generation,’ a sprawling, circuitous number that remains an untethered instrumental until just past the seven-minute mark of the nearly 11-minute track. It finds the band stretching out a bit while also perhaps growing more comfortable with their collective sound, and serves as a clear signal for listeners that if this track doesn’t quite resonate with you, than perhaps you shouldn’t dig any deeper on the album. But, if you do like what you hear on ‘Messed Blinds,’ your patience will consistently be rewarded on this untamed but ultimately engaging release.

The band raised funds for the recording of this album through a successful Kickstarter campaign, which allowed for them to get Steve Albini to produce the record during a whirlwind five day session at the renowned Electrical Audio studios in Chicago. That bristling urgency colours all of the tracks on the record, as the songs surge forward breathlessly, while also remaining taut, roiling expressions of the band’s propulsive drive. Kinsella’s rough vocals seem to be a bit of an afterthought on most of these songs, as what is happening musically when he’s not singing is continually far more interesting than the lyrics, which are frequently just an underlying hush amongst the expressive discord the band is generating.

‘Love Life’ features playful, inspired guitar riffs reminiscent of Dave Longstreth’s bold work with Dirty Projectors, while the simmering, slow-build of ‘Like Minded’ has hints of Sonic Youth threaded in the anti-melody. But while there are touches of influences both new and old within this work, the album remains unmistakably a Joan Of Arc affair, as their idiosyncratic sound remains steadfast despite being reigned in a bit by Albini’s studied, textured approach. The album finishes with a flourish, with the pulsing insistence of the title track, the spare desperation of ‘Deep State,’ and the dynamic rhythms of the call-and-response closer, ‘After Life.’ And, with the Life-linked titles spread throughout Life Like, Kinsella has slyly shown once again that his creative heart is still beating, while crafting another fresh batch of tunes that are both absorbing and startling in their brazen originality.