Photo via the band.

Deleted Scenes is something of a D.C. treasure. The band’s first two records, Birdseed Shirt and Young People’s Church of the Air, were accomplished and incredible records, and the band’s latest, Lithium Burn, is no different. Unlike it’s predecessors, this record has more to prove, and the band seem up to the challenge, throwing every idea they have to see what sticks—sometimes even in the same song. In the album’s first single—the jittery, funhouse, mindfuck of a track “Stutter”—Deleted Scenes sound like a different animal, but after listening to Lithium Burn, “Stutter” is an anomaly. Other tracks have the catchiness and spirt of the band’s last albums—along with a huge late-period Dischord influence—like opener “Haircuts are Uniform”. Though the music is exciting, singer Dan Scheuerman’s lyrics haven’t gotten any brighter. “You Get to Say Whatever You Want” is a sarcastic one and, while it’s the last track on Lithium Burn, it’s a perfect entry point to the record. The song tackles fake activism while the singer holds his tongue.

Deleted Scenes play tonight with Celestial Shore and Laughing Man at the Rock and Roll Hotel. Tickets are $13.