'Forgiveness Rock Record' is out May 4 on Arts&Crafts Records.

For fans of:  Arcade Fire, The Most Serene Republic, Stars

Broken Social Scene is back with their highly-anticipated fifth album, Forgiveness Rock Record, out May 4 on Arts & Crafts.

In the five years since the release of their self-titled album, members of the Toronto collective have been working on their own projects, which could be the reason the band has taken a few more risks on this new album.

Forgiveness Rock Record sees the band delving into various elements, including the use of synthesizers on a few of the tracks, experimenting with new-wave-like electronica.

The album as a whole is a little all over the place, and certain songs don't seem to fit, specifically "Highway Slipper Jam," which holds a weird, but appealing, infusion of post-rock with tribal-like beats. It goes from the upbeat "Texico Bitches" to a dance track "All to All" and finishes with the softest song on the album "Me and My Hand".

Despite it being messy at times, Forgiveness Rock Record is definitely worth listening to. As expected, the record sees appearances from other notable Toronto-based artists, including Feist, Metric's Emily Haines and members of Stars, among others. While it is quite possibly one of the more adventerous BSS albums to date, it still holds a familiarity die-hard fans of the band will be looking for, especially toward the end of the album where the band seems to stray away from experimentation. It starts off fast and upbeat, but gradually slows down, making it an album that can be listened to in a multitude of ways.

Forgiveness Rock Record is available May 4 on Arts& Crafts Records.

It is available for pre-order now, and will also be released as a limited edition, numbered boxed set, containing seven 10-inch records pressed on 180-gram heavyweight vinyl and a digital download of the album. Only 1,000 sets will be made available for $125.