Even though they are considered by many to be the post-rock neophytes induction band, Explosions in the Sky would tell you otherwise. They prefer to proudly boast their pop-sensible roots and call their music “just plain rock” that moves emotions in any way possible, rather than adhere to rules to fit in a certain category.

The only problem is, they’ve kind of stuck by the rules of post-rock pretty closely since day one. But I suppose a band that consists of three electric guitars and a drummer has to be allowed the signature driving, non-symphonic, epic stampede that post-rock is best known for.

Not surprisingly, they work closely with other bands in the genre’s playing field, notably on the special edition of their fifth album, “All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone,” featuring remixes of all their songs by several esteemed post-rock and instrumental acts including Eluvium, Mountains, Jesu and Four Tet.

New songs are predictable

But Explosions in the Sky will likely retain their place above their peers in mainstream popularity, as they keep several things constant in their formula. This rings true in this latest album — one being that their songs are relatively safe and predictable, and the another that they are always really pleasing and easy to listen to.

Overall, the band’s latest album, “Take Care, Take Care, Take Care,” reads a bit like its title: somewhat repetitive, friendly in nature, yet with enough entry-level philosophical melodic presence to give listeners something to chew on in the glittering, pounding sea of sound Explosions creates.

Titles and melodies more subdued than previous album

The album fades in slowly with major chords, in a rather stark contrast to their previous album opener “The Birth and Death of the Day,” which begins with a searing, heavily crunched guitar drone erupting from silence. While that album’s musical “film” was more of a space odyssey or a dirge to a collapsing world, this record seems akin to a private relational drama.

The songs’ titles are often the only textual clues apart from the music, as there are only a few tracks in all of Explosions’ catalog which contain vocals, let alone lyrics. The names here indicate a more personal narrative with title tracks as blunt as “Human Qualities,” “Trembling Hands” and “Postcard from 1952.”

Song titles in past albums paint a very grand and vast scope of the album’s aesthetic, with names such as “Catastrophe and the Cure,” “Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean” and “Welcome, Ghosts.” As far as the new album goes, everything from the art to the drum mixing suggests a more subdued approach.

Song lengths vary

Opener, “Last Known Surroundings” drives listeners through the crescendo of classic Explosions, and “Human Qualities” follows demurely with distinctive human elements, such as hand claps, sounds of dripping water and haunting human voices singing the calmly triumphant “chorus” in unison, before giving way to the crashing drum and guitar breakdown in the final 60 seconds of the eight-minute song.

“Trembling Hands” follows, featuring a repetitive vocal track that almost serves as a timekeeper. It’s mesmerizing enough, and then other vocal layers begin to fall in and out of the strange, brooding track, which is the shortest and most urgent on the album.

“Be Comfortable, Creature” sounds like a nine-minute indie-rock march that forgot to add vocals. “Postcard from 1952” makes use of a tight percussion rhythm, while playful riffs fill the steady open space. “Let Me Back In” employs some intriguing mixing techniques, along with some odd, reversed-sounding vocal samples.

Consistency doesn’t disappoint

The record is forgettable in a good way. You don’t realize you’ve just burned through the whole thing when the music stops, and will have no guilt playing it while studying because you’ll work just as well with the music on. It’s unassuming and stylistically not over-polished at all, which is a solid kudos to the band who produced the album themselves.

Their sound was undoubtedly influenced by the skilled hand of producer John Congleton, who mixed and recorded the album. He has worked with everyone — or close to it — from Modest Mouse, The Walkmen, Land of Talk and Erykah Badu, to Bono, The Appleseed Cast, Marylin Manson and Kirk Franklin.

It’s no huge step forward, but it’s not at all a disappointment except to those who expect a band to undergo extreme change with each album. But Explosions in the Sky has always been a steady band. Whether it’s consistently releasing an album every few years, or keeping their same music treatment, it seems fans can count on them to deliver their usual goods. They can be trusted to give interested outsiders reason to enter the world of post-rock, or maybe just stopping and staying in the world of Explosions in the Sky.