Having generated an unexpectedly large Internet following with their first two albums, 2012's "Sports" and 2014's "You're Gonna Miss It All," Modern Baseball has already established themselves with a particular image: another group of laid-back and blasé 20-somethings reviving emo with their out-of-tune guitar riffs and lyrics about girls, heartache and personal insecurities.

But with the release of their latest studio album, "Holy Ghost," the Philadelphia-based quartet is challenging that image and redefining their role in the underground scene. Lacking the lightheartedness and irreverent sense of humor that appeared on the band's earlier albums, "Holy Ghost" reflects the band's progression, both collectively and as individuals, as they learned to adjust to the realities of adulthood.

At first listen, "Holy Ghost" may appear disorganized or unbalanced — and rightfully so. Just as it is with the songwriting process, the album is split in half, opening with Jake Ewald's six tracks followed by Brendan Lukens' remaining five. Lyrics aside, the difference in style between the two members is apparent and almost jarring. Ewald kicks off the album with an eerie, acoustic ballad (the self-titled track, "Holy Ghost") while Lukens' half begins abruptly, pointedly more distorted and loud ("Coding These To Lukens"). In contrast to Lukens' raw and audibly emotional tone, Ewald's half carries a sense of vitality and yearning with songs like "Wedding Singer" and "Mass" — the only trace of Modern Baseball's familiar youthfulness found on the entire record. Though the structure of the album hints at the idea of division rather than unity, the lyrics reveal the link between Ewald's and Lukens' halves as well as the underlying message in the whole thing: honesty.

With "Holy Ghost," the band's airy, peppy songs about skipping class or Chloe's Twitter handle have been replaced with brutally honest self-reflections. For Ewald, that meant addressing the death of his grandfather and trying to understand the role that religion played in it. And in Lukens' case, it meant openly talking about a substance addiction, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and a near suicide attempt. In their recently released documentary "Tripping In The Dark," Lukens said that he "felt like he [was] the most honest [he's] ever been" with this record. So, if it seems like the band's lost their sense of carelessness and interest in singing about trivial things like girls in their profile pictures, it's probably because they have.

But while the album might come off as depressing or a letdown, it's anything but. Ewald and Lukens (as well as bassist Ian Farmer and drummer Sean Huber) created an incredibly thought-out, stunningly complex and surprisingly uplifting album. In just 11 concise, sharp songs, Modern Baseball evokes the importance of honesty, hope and growth as a person — and the album's closing lyric only resonates that message: "even if you can't see it now / we're proud of what is to come, and you."

Watch their music video for "Wedding Singer" below:

<span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker" data-verified="redactor"></span> Modern Baseball's album "Holy Ghost" is out now.