Two years ago, Deleted Scenes released a diverse, irresistible and fun debut with Birdseed Shirt. Now the Brooklyn/D.C.-based quartet’s latest offering Young People’s Church of the Air finds the group expanding on its debut, while enduring a few growing pains along the way.

Opener “A Litany For Mrs. T” finds the band looking skyward behind Brian Hospital’s double bass pedal kicks and Dan Scheuerman’s cries for “No more bodies / No more blood.” Hospital’s drumming was a big draw on Birdseed Shirt and it’s no different on Young People’s Church of the Air. A very thoughtful drummer, Hospital doesn’t waste space on the album. The subtle fills on “Ordination Day” and the commanding double bass kicks on single “Bedbedbedbedbed” add to the drama of Scheuerman’s ability to condense huge, philosophical questions from term papers into a chorus.

The words found throughout Young People’s Church of the Air are still deeply personal, focusing around the central themes of recovery and redemption, but Scheuerman’s scope has widened a bit from the last album. Where he would address himself in the first person on Birdseed highlights such as “Got God,” Church of the Air finds the lyricist offering up a bit of world-weary advice. “Nobody here is gonna get your back / If you turn it down / They want to see you on the ground” he sings on the gauzy “A Bunch of People Who Love You Like Crazy”.

Still, it’s hard to pin down Deleted Scenes to one scene or genre. For every “The Days of Adderall” there’s a curveball of joy like the spunky, organ driven “Baltika 9” or the glitchy, tin can-ladened “English As A Second Language”. It’s these turns on a dime that keep Young People’s Church of the Air interesting and refreshing. It’s also why I continue to look forward to album number three.

Deleted Scenes will be making their first appearance in the District since releasing Young People’s Church of the Air on Sunday night at DC9. Doors are at 8 p.m., tickets are $12.