British indie pop band The xx burst onto the music scene in 2009 with “xx,” one of the best debut albums in years. Unlike many new bands, their first album already had a distinct and established sound in place. They immediately stuck out for their elegant use of polished notes composed with a minimalist temperament, having the overall effect of raw emotion. Their instrumentals gently propelled emotional, low-key lyrics, often about love, making their songs catchy but unlike anything heard before.

Their 11-track new album, “Coexist,” has a few great songs. “Angels,” the album’s opening track and first single, in particular is as good — if not better — than anything in “xx.” Some of the other songs, though, are less impressive. “Coexist” sometimes feels like an album from a band searching for a voice, even though “xx” was from a band with a strong, unique voice already in place. Many songs sound like what the band may have written in early stages of their musical career. Perhaps The xx is trying to expand their sound, but if so, they are doing it with mixed success.

“Coexist” is more poppy than “xx” in the generic way, not the lively way. “Try,” for instance, is downright boring and sounds like they aren’t trying at all. Like a few other songs on the album, it has the distinct moodiness we’ve come to expect from The xx, but lacks the pulse to keep us engaged with the song. “Missing” is better — it experiments with more sustained tones like “Try” does — but the singers imbue the lyrics with a soul, “My heart is beating in a different way/Been gone such a long time and I feel the same.” However, both of these songs exemplify the greatest disparity between this album and their previous one: “Coexist” is more concerned with moodiness at the expense of fun. “VCR” from “xx,” by contrast, is a good example of the bass-enforced moodiness that The xx is capable of producing in the act of being fun.

“Reunion” and “Sunset,” both appearing in the middle of the album, are lyrically elegant, delving deeper into the lingering feelings from past relationships. From the latter, for example, there is, “We make believe, I’ve never seen your face, you neither mine/And catch my eye, don’t register a smile/You were more than just a friend, oh but the feeling/It never came to an end, I can’t bear to see you.” But the songs don’t have the energetic, emotional instrumentals to associate with them and make the songs glow.

“Tides” and “Unfold” are the kind of low-key, quiet, emotionally-intense ballads that The xx excels at, but they feel rather ordinary coming after the songs in “xx.” They’re fine songs, but they aren’t at the standards of some of The xx’s other similar low-key ballads. I can’t imagine why anyone would revisit those songs instead of, say, “Crystalised,” “VCR” or even “Angels,” earlier on the tracklist.

One of the most emotionally powerful of their songs, “Our Song” finishes the album. It’s possibly their best love song, with sincere lyrics like “Well I know all the words/Didn’t take you apart/You know I know you’re hurt/I want to mend your heart.” Its subtle earthy tones and emotional authenticity suggest the real new direction that The xx may be headed, something quieter, even more minimalistic, with intense passion. Let’s hope their next album explores this more.

Grade: B-