Los Campesinos! show signs that punk isn’t dead yet. Working on two records in the same year, Los Campesinos! spent the end of 2009 crafting their latest release, “Romance is Boring.”

The album shows the band is pursuing a darker sound, but its core remains pop-centered and hyperactive. The record is at its best when the dark themes and light-hearted sounds come together. These moments will please old fans but don’t come consistently enough to pull in new listeners.

Los Campesinos! combine clever lyrics, back and forth male and female vocals and a love for pop-punk to create a sound unlike anyone else. The instrumentals on “Romance is Boring” are often powerful and energized, but the lyrics focus on breakups and the darker side of relationships.

The quiet violin and drum beats of “The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future” explodes into a chorus full of guitar, whistling and heartfelt lyrics.

The members of Los Campesinos! have always enjoyed wordplay in their lyrics and song titles. With track titles such as “I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed. Just So You Know” and “Coda: A Burn Scar in the Shape of the Sooner State,” listeners know they are in for lyrically dense tracks. The former includes lyrical gems such as, “I’ve displayed marriage proposals on the Jumbotrons of ball games you’ve not been at.”

The expansion of the horn section comes as a pleasant surprise, but the lead vocals sound more like whispers. These punk-influenced moments are weak points on the record, dragging down the few excellent tracks, such as the title track.

“Romance is Boring” will not impress any new listeners but should be well received among fans. The lyrics and catchiness of a few tracks are enough to warrant a few listens, but many won’t complete the entire album.