When Band of Horses broke with their 2006 debut, Everything All the Time, the appeal was twofold: The band twirled good ol’ Southern rock with an ethereal, otherworldly vibe. The group’s third and fourth records (most recently, 2012’s Mirage Rock) were less adored because the rock existed plainly here on earth, not floating above it. Thankfully, Why Are You OK finds Band of Horses back where they belong—here are 12 gorgeous tracks swathed in a far-off atmosphere. And while there are few tracks that are quite as arresting as, say, “The Funeral,” Why Are You OK is easily the act’s best work in a decade. As always, Ben Bridwell’s daydream vocals take center stage; within the first 60 seconds of seven-minute opener “Dull Times/The Moon,” his melody breaks into a wave of fragmented echoes and goosebump-worthy harmonies. Produced by Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle, Why Are You OK sounds great—all earthy percussion, twinkling guitars and rumbling bass. The band capitalizes on ghostly music paired with Bridwell’s painfully human lyrics. “Are we really in love, completely in love? Did mentioning it make your skin start to crawl?” he sings on the beautiful “Hag.” Fans may have asked Why Are You OK to Band of Horses’ last few albums, but they’ll be rightfully fawning over this one.