It's hard being an "electronic" band. Songs or sounds? Lyrics or instrumentals? These are the questions faced by Zero 7 [ tickets ], an act that began life as the side-project of British producers Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker, and has morphed into a sort-of band, with regular vocal contributors.

Six years in, Zero 7 drops "The Garden," the follow-up to the '04 release "When It Falls."

At its best, "The Garden" bridges the rhythms of downbeat with the acoustic soul and songcraft of folk. The disc opens strong with Swedish singer Jose Gonzalez's gorgeous, McCartney-inspired vocals on "Futures," a mid-paced meditation. Next, Sia Furler, who added so much to Zero 7's earlier work, delivers golden vocals for "Throw It All Away," a pretty song made for summertime sunsets, replete with acoustic guitar solo (!) and kitschy arrangement.

But Furler saves her best for "The Pageant of the Bizarre," a provocative mid-tempo warning to a potential suitor. Sings the chanteuse, "It's never gonna be / Normal, you and me / What you're signing on for / Is a storm at sea."

Still, as "The Garden" progresses it loses its focus. Those tight, melodic songs at the album's outset? Toward the back end, they have devolved into something less satisfying. The repetitive "This Fine Social Scene" sputters along, Furler's vocals unable to save it. Closer "Waiting to Die" is a lovely, if banal, unassuming tune.

Then there are the album's few instrumentals. "Your Place" strives for majesty with a phalanx of horns, but the song hardly rises above standard electronic fare--something you might carve out with Garageband and an hour's worth of time.

Indeed, "The Garden" yields some fine, folky flavor, but it can become a chore once you get past that low-hanging fruit. At least the tastiest stuff is also the easiest to get to.