Fitz & The Tantrums announce 'Dreamy' new album

Fitz & The Tantrums' sophomore set will finally drop this spring. "More Than Just a Dream" is due May 7 through Elektra, a change-up from the soulful band's first album drop through indie Dangerbird.

The first single from "Dream" will be "Out of My League," described in a release as "an exhilarating slice of pop-soul."

The Los Angeles-based sextet released "Pickin' Up the Pieces" in 2010, but grew in stature much more substantially in 2011, when they performed at some of the country's biggest music festivals. That growth was also amped by their single "MoneyGrabber," so with any luck, "Out of My League" will have the same effect.

Second album releases are also crucial for a tour-heavy band like Fitz, giving them a promotional opportunity to head back into the waters. When I interviewed lead Michael Fitzpatrick in 2012, he was all too aware of the need to grow, as well as the need to satisfy with the songs.

"For me, the focus is  songwriting, like challenging myself as a songwriter, as a producer, to make sure that I like really push myself, evolve and write the kind of songs that I think are going to hopefully sustain us for a whole other record. I don't want to suffer from the sophomore slump," he said at the time.

This time, it's producer Tony Hoffer (Beck, M83, Phoenix) who is helping to shoulder the weight of a new record. The biggest hurdle may be radio, and moving over to a major may help. Elektra (an "independent entity within Warner Bros.") was dormant for a minute in the aughts, but relaunched a couple of years ago by moving over the careers of Bruno Mars and CeeLo; Elektra's new president Jeff Castelaz co-founded Dangerbird, and so his success has been their success, too. So there's hope?

The single release, as well as expected tour dates, will follow soon.