The Academy Is . . . isn't afraid of taking chances.

Each of the Chicago band's albums features a different approach to pop-leaning rock, and its new EP, "Lost in Pacific Time" (Decaydance / Fueled by Ramen), is another musical left turn.

Singer William Beckett said the band members are proud of the new EP because they produced it themselves and recorded much of it on the road - in the opening of "Days Like Masquerades," you can hear a wooden roller coaster because the band's bus was parked at a Six Flags when they were recording. The process has him fired up to do more.

The new EP is so different from the poppy "Fast Times at Barrington High." Did you mean for it to sound darker?

It's not as dark as our second album. . . . Having three albums under our belt, we feel like we have the creative freedom to do whatever we want to. This is a bit of a bridge to what we want to do next. Not to take anything from the last album, but we don't believe in putting out the same material. We want to evolve and advance.

"Fast Times" was such a good album. Were you surprised it didn't catch on more?