Bands evolve in lots of different ways: Some find their home on the road, developing new strengths on stage. Others make big artistic changes from album to album. And then there’s Terry Malts, the California punk trio that’s been inching toward something cool for years. The trio made a splash in 2012 with its near-perfect full-length debut, Killing Time, a buzzy fusion of weirdo punk and new wave that’s as lo-fi as it is catchy. Ever since, Terry Malts has been cleaning up its sound in tiny intervals, first working with a real producer and then recording in an actual studio. The band’s third album, Lost at the Party, is its best-sounding yet, with nods to Beatles pop, R.E.M. jangle, and ’60s soul. Not all of the punk rock scuzz has been scrubbed from Terry Malts’ sound, but enough that the band’s natural knack for perfect pop-rock shines through. BEN SALMON