Portugal. The Man may have flirted with the mainstream on 2013’s Evil Friends, but they more deeply embrace the sleek sound of modern pop radio with their eighth LP, Woodstock. On single-worthy fare like “Easy Tiger” and “Tidal Wave,” frontman/chief songwriter John Gourley croons breezy soul hooks in a featherlight falsetto, anchored by hiphop-styled drums, electronic buzzes and “woo-oo” backing vocals. “Live in the Moment” commences with a thumping kickdrum-snare pattern pilfered from Gary Glitter’s stadium-packer “Rock n Roll Part 2,” riding a bluesy chorus melody you could easily picture on an Ed Sheeran or One Direction cut. These tunes are crafted with an impressive pop expertise: The Alaskan quintet worked with an A-list production crew, including former Beastie Boy Mike D, Danger Mouse and John Hill, who don’t leave any synth pad or vocal part un-shimmered. But, ironically, even though they’ve embraced accessibility, Woodstock often feels labored, lacking the sonic surprise and warmth that defined their previous work. (It’s a telling, and worrying, sign that Gourley and company scrapped two albums worth of material, dubbed Gloomin + Doomin, before starting over with this newer crop of songs.) None of that matters, though, when Gourley stops trying so hard: Lead single “Feel It Still” is suave to the point of absurdity, with the frontman wrapping his elastic croon around over a Swinging Sixties groove and honking sax. Hardcore fans may miss Portgual. The Man’s woolier, wilder days—and many may jump ship completely. But at its most colorful and least strained, Woodstock proves Portugal’s pop move to be a natural evolution.