This album is kind of a mess, and I’m still not sure if that’s good or bad.

M83, a French band led by Anthony Gonzalez, has come to be known as a pioneer in the world of electronic music with their hit song “Midnight City,” which shot them to stardom almost four years ago. They have a distinct sound, and “Junk” is a definite departure from it.

The album gives off a ’70s vibe with its (terrifying) album cover depicting childish cartoon characters and piano interludes reminiscent of a corny television show. Gonzalez claims to be inspired by this era, marking the album as a “tribute to those old-fashioned shows” like “Punky Brewster” and “Who’s the Boss?”

There are a few easy favorites. “Solitude,” the second single and the first song I heard off of the album, is a legitimate work of art. A full orchestra plays in the background for the entirety of the six-minute ballad, James-Bond-esque and yet soothing. “Time Wind,” featuring Beck, is another bright spot. The more I listen, the more the album flows — it has to grow on you before you can fully appreciate it.

The instrumentation is fantastic. No surprise, considering the last project M83 was involved in was composing the soundtrack for the 2013 film “Oblivion.” Pretty much every existing instrument makes an appearance at some point, including a harmonica, saxophone and a myriad of string instruments. Instrumental tracks are almost better than those with words.

However, besides the stand-out tracks, the rest of the songs tend to run together into a synth-based mess sprinkled with spoken phrases in French. Mai Lan, a French singer who is featured in four songs — “Go!,” “Bibi the Dog,” “Laser Gun” and “Atlantique Sud” — has a nice voice, but all of the songs with her in them sound exactly the same.

As a fan of their 2011 album “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming,” I have to admit that “Junk” isn’t what I expected. But despite its obvious flaws, it’s still worthy of a listen. “Junk” earns a B- for its craftsmanship and flawless accompaniments that shine through over less desirable tracks.