Early on, Team Ghost began distinguishing themselves from the burgeoning pack of acts melding shoegaze and synth pop, including frontman Nicolas Fromageau's former band M83. The harder edges and nods to coldwave on EPs like Curtains and Montreuil were just part of the eclectic sound they forged on their first full-length, Rituals, and on their self-titled follow-up, the band branches out in even farther-flung directions. Aside from the doomy synth pop of "Toys," the straightforward post-punk of "The Sleeper," and the darker, electronically enhanced moods that form the album's frosty heart, Team Ghost is impressively hard to predict. Prog is an unexpected -- but welcome -- influence on "Tales of Tomorrow"'s chilly atmospheres, "Revelations"' strange sci-fi majesty, and "Birds," which rivals Pink Floyd when it comes to spacy gloom. Elsewhere, the band moves away from Rituals' more structured songs in favor of continually shifting sounds and atmospheres. On "The Riser," hip-hop-tinged beats add intrigue to its frozen menace, while "We Are War" is a daring mash-up of synth pop and the heavier side of alt-rock, an influence the band returns to on "Sparkles" and "This Elegy." The results are more refreshing than scattered, suggesting that this is the beginning of a new era for Team Ghost.