Three years after The Beta Band's brilliant Three EPs collection, the wait for a proper sequel continues.

Sure, there were flashes of greatness on the Scottish electro-folk explorers' self-titled 1999 album, which they themselves dismissed as unfinished and disorganized, and Hot Shots II -- out Tuesday -- is an improvement. But, perhaps because their last disc was such a sprawling and bumpy ride, the group seem hyper-conscious about keeping things streamlined this time, and, in the process, have left out a good deal of the percussive edge that make them such a great live act.

Human Being sounds like a re-write of their signature single Dry The Rain. Opening track Squares just sounds like a re-write of a Portishead number.

The upshot is that it's an uncluttered album, and songs such as Dragon, Alleged and Eclipse have a gentle charm, largely due to Steve Mason's flinty and unfussy vocals, which rest nicely over compact, supple electronics. Things end on an odd note with the clever but somewhat jarring hip-hop tune, Won, which nabs a sample Harry Nilsson's One (get it?). It's not that Hot Shots II isn't good -- it just isn't the classic we've been expecting. Maybe that's our fault.

The Beta Band open for Radiohead at Molson Park Aug. 3. (More on: Beta Band).

Track Listing 1. Squares
2. Al Sharp
3. Human Being
4. Gone
5. Dragon
6. Broke
7. Quiet
8. Alleged
9. Life
10. Eclipse
11. Won