Five years in the making, Fight the Frequency finds American Hi-Fi pretty much sticking to their game plan, where they perform catchy power-pop with an extra punk rock crunch. Label trouble led them to self-release it, but there’s no discernible drop in quality. Harmonies are sharp (“Acetate”) and the guitars play seamless chords that build a wall of sound that caresses the ears. If anything, the band has always been surprisingly smooth. “Lost” plays like a lite-FM pop tune with distorted tonalities from the guitar as the only orchestration. The quieter creep of “Keep It Like a Secret” makes for the album’s most attractive texture with the easeful pulse of “Lookout for Hope” and “A Taste of Crime” coming in a close second. For those who fell in love with “Flavor of the Weak,” there’s “Where Love Is a Lie,” “Stargazer” and “Recover the Stars.” The acoustic “Tiny Spark” completes the band’s portrait circa 2010.