Feeling nothing but alienation after the breakup of the emo-turned-rock band My Chemical Romance, fans may be hesitant to listen to the new album from former front man, Gerard Way. The album, Hesitant Alien, debuted on September 30th, marking the commencement of Gerard Way’s solo career, following the late-March 2013 breakup of MCR.

Way rises from the ashes like a phoenix on the fiery Hesitant Alien.Throughout the 11 song collection, he paves an extremely different path than one would expect after listening to early works of MCR. On the other hand, a true aficionado could have predicted this freshly vibrant sound after analyzing the trend of the band’s exponentially increasing brightness.

Way experiments with new elements on the record, which strongly emanate Britpop and glam rock vibes. Way’s inspirations can be traced back to the influences of artists such as Pulp, and David Bowie. Hesitant Alien blends these late 20th century sounds with futuristic, synthesized beats and steadfast guitar grooves.

The luster of the album outshines the first three gothic works in MCR’s discography combined, with the exception of Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, MCR’s fourth studio record, and their collection of EPs released in late 2012, titled Conventional Weapons, which were much perkier than the darker phases of the group.

The brooding songs Gerard first penned have transformed into much livelier tunes here, which can attributed to his colorful persona today. The album accentuates this quaint persona as well, featuring blissfully defiant lyrics. Must-listen tracks include “Action Cat,” “Brother,” and “How’s It Going to Be.”

Gerard Way’s new music certainly doesn’t surpass the well-deserved acclaim he garnered with My Chemical Romance, but fills a hole in the hearts of die-hard fans. The album serves as the perfect remedy for devotees longing to hear something that resembles Way’s legendary band, whilst awaiting the hopeful return of My Chemical Romance.

Hesitant Alien is available now in stores and online, and can also be streamed through Spotify.