JOCIE Adams’s CV is nothing if not diverse. Before becoming the singer in Rhode Island trio Arc Iris, she did research for NASA and composed classical music, so it would seem fair to class her as one of life's explorer.

The second album by her current band reinforces that notion; rather than striving to ride trends or act smart, Moon Saloon meanders, weaves and strays, bringing different influences not just into the album as a whole, but into individual songs.

At their best, Arc Iris sound vital on album opener Kaleidoscope, which fuses trip-hop drums and chamber pop atmospherics, and the excellent Paint With The Sun, with its chiming piano coda.

But combining so many disparate thematic and instrumental elements into a cohesive whole proves beyond them far too often, and Moon Saloon becomes a bewildering array of sounds and directions. Uou want to understand it, but it doesn’t make life easy for you.

This isn’t a band built for being straightforward, but over-elaboration costs them dearly in Moon Saloon, negating the impact of some genuinely insightful and thought-provoking songwriting. Arc Iris may be a band searching for their sound; hopefully Moon Saloon gives them more clues than it gives us.