Most artists are content to stick with the formula they’re known for, changing as much (or as little) as they think they can get away with — but Louis XIV are not most artists. In fact, on their new album, Slick Dogs and Ponies, the San Diego-based quartet has headed into new sonic terrain. It’s a bigger, bolder, more ambitious record that shows the band’s growth and evolution while also staying true to their innovative take on modern music.

The album opener, “Guilt By Association,” immediately heralds something that’s not only new for Louis XIV, but for popular music in general. “On that song, we invented a sound,” frontman Jason Hill boldly states. “It’s definitely unlike anything you hear in current music.”