Sometimes an album title says it all. Well, it actually happens very rarely, I suppose, but the new release from Neil Finn and Crowded House qualifies. It’s called Intriguer, and it’s genuinely intriguing.

Which is fine, if that’s really what you’re going for, but it’s a bit of a letdown considering some of the flowery adjectives this band has inspired in the past.

It’s certainly a good sight better than the band’s comeback album from 2007, Here On Earth, which, if given a descriptive word in the same fashion, would have been called Underwhelmer. Intriguer certainly finds Finn fully engaged and going for it in a way that has to be refreshing to Crowdies who might have long since given up on hearing this band sound so ambitious ever again.

There are enough structural differences between the songs, and even within individual songs, to keep listeners on their toes throughout. Producer Jim Scott, known for his work with Wilco, brings that same spirit of experimentation to this project, getting Finn out of any sort of middle-of-the-road comfort zone that plagued Here On Earth.

Opening song “Saturday Sun” buzzes along with energy that immediately demands attention. Following up on that is the complicated construct “Archer’s Arrows,” which might be a tad too busy but shows that Finn’s songwriting gifts are still intact. His lyrics are never less than impressive, but they aren’t always engaging.

Indeed, much of the problem with Intriguer is that the majority of the songs don’t cash in on the opportunities afforded them by the promising musical set-ups. There are precious few songs here with a hummable melody, which is a drawback made all the more mystifying by the plethora of instantly memorable tunes in Crowded House’s catalog.

Finn seems to be caught in the middle, trying to write to the productions rather than coming up with the songs first and foremost. “Falling Dove” builds off a taut rhythm and takes numerous twists and turns, including some fiery guitar from Finn’s son Liam, but it never quite lifts off. Like many of the songs here, it builds from moody verses to a lush chorus. Even with all of the variety in production, these songs all begin to run together because of this songwriting fallback position.

Ironically, Finn puts it all together on the most traditional number here, “Twice If Your Lucky.” It possesses a straightforward, mid-tempo elegance, like so many of the band’s past triumphs, but unlike much of the other fare on Intriguer, the strain is absent. This is Crowded House in its wheelhouse, singing an adult love song, and they sound as energized as if it were 1987 all over again.

Although the moment is short-lived, it shows that the band is firing on all cylinders again. Much of Intriguer just seems like an uneasy fit. The name of the album is perfectly apropos though. It’s easy to contemplate that, with a few more memorable songs, they could have called the album Impresser.

Adobe Flash Required for flash player. "Saturday Sun"

Adobe Flash Required for flash player. "Falling Dove"

Adobe Flash Required for flash player. "Twice if Your Lucky"