In an attempt to attain the perfect beach body, The 1900s have shed some extra weight this year. The Chicago pop outfit are now a trim 5-piece, parting ways with guitarist Mike Jasinski and drummer Tim Minnick; they now call on the services of a revolving group of drummers when they need a little more kick. To celebrate the new look, the outfit will expose their pop sensibilities on Return of the Century.

On their second full-length release, singer/guitarist Edward Anderson along with vocalists Caroline Donovan and Jeanine O’Toole amplify the sublime vocal arrangements that first garnered them attention with 2007′s Cold & Kind. Return of the Century is the narrative of a kidnapped runaway who leaves her home and her man for strange and troubling adventures in the desert — a tale loosely inspired by the disappearance of Incredible String Band’s Christina ‘Licorice’ McKechnie. For real-world inspiration, Anderson and Donovan spent the spring wandering through the Southwest, including a visit to a polygamist compound in Colorado City, AZ.

For the release, fellow Chicagoans Graeme Gibson (Disappears) and Josh Johannpeter (Mahjongg, Lazer Crystal) provided their skills on drums, and Benjamin Balcom served as the producer and engineer.

Return of the Century is out November 2nd on Parasol. After checking out the tracklist below, head here to pre-order the release.

The 1900s will be performing at this year’s ATP: Bowlie 2 curated by and starring Belle and Sebastian. They have also announced plans for a fall tour, but as of now, no dates or cities have been announced.

Return of the Century Tracklist:
01. Amulet
02. Lay A Ghost
03. Kidnap Runaway
04. Lions Fur
05. Zerkalo
06. Bmore
07. Babies
08. Overreactin’
09. Jean Demon
10. Sanzimat