It may not seem so, but it really has been five years since the Red House Painters released a new studio album. The band that fought so hard with its label and other turmoil has finally released the album that was complete over three years ago, this time appearing on SubPop Records.

Not surprisingly, the band is not quite the same on this, its sixth full-length album. In particular, singer/songwriter and primary member, Mark Kozelek seems to have brightened up a little, but not quite enough to leave his therapist yet. Yet, on “Old Ramon,” Kozelek seems to have abandoned some of the starkness and morbidity that was the cohesive glue to some of the bands previous albums. In its place they have found something a little closer to the tune of “easy listening,” but a somewhat charming sound nonetheless.

As usual, The Red House Painters rarely try to rush through a song. “Cruiser” is a song about driving down the road listening to punk rock comps, but played like a lazy narrative that stretches on endlessly, somehow without dragging its feet. Kozelek and mates have always had a knack at making epic, eight-minute songs seem somehow much shorter.

What began The Red House Painters’ struggle with 4AD, their old label, was Kozelek’s unwillingness to shorten a guitar solo on their last record. There are more than a few places where the band could have used a sensible editor. The interminably long nine-minute song “Void” echoes John Denver in a most unfavorable way and the bland “River” runs on for over eleven minutes, a song that most definitely could have been cut in half.

First perceivable on 1996’s “Songs for a Blue Guitar,” the band seems to be lightning up its often overly despondent image. Although Kozelek will probably never be accused of being too cheery, “Old Ramon” interprets sadness in a more gentle and friendly way. Kozelek, who is infamous for his affinity for 70’s rock bands like AC/DC and Kiss, even manages to bring in some chunky riffs to “Between Days” and indulges his quasi-hard-rock fantasies for over eight minutes.

For the most part, “Old Ramon” is a simple and straightforward acoustic album. Instead of writing an entire album about a catastrophic breakup with a girlfriend, Kozelek sings about a number of things that are less personal – his cat in “Wop-a-din-din” and an obvious tribute to the late John Denver on “Golden.”

Undoubtedly, after twelve years together, The Red House Painters have changed, but are still making well-crafted music that is fairly consistent. Although we may never see the tear-stained bleeding-heart tragedies from albums like “Down Colorful Hill” or “Red House Painters I,” “Old Ramon” might better serve in preparing us for the tumult of middle age.