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Bellingham alternative rock band Strait A Students is finishing a new album, “The Pursuit of Hopelessness,” hoping to release it in late May or early June, vocalist and guitarist Ryan Richardson said. The eight-song CD is the second official release from the band, Richardson said, with a batch of songs on the serious and relatable side paired with more intricate music, moving away from previous Strait A Student goofiness, like covering the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song. But don’t worry; no one’s getting too serious.

The band has gone through many transformations since its last release, “The Oryentation” EP, out in 2005. Since then, the band has shuffled through a handful of bass players and added Elliott Starks on lead guitar, Richardson said.

The band is Richardson on guitar and lead vocals, Ian Graham on bass and vocals, Starks on lead guitar and vocals and Gabe Rodriguez on drums. The group has been playing with this lineup since the fall of 2006. And on occasion, Tom O’King, a member of the late local rock group Robotronica, will hop on stage during live shows, grab a guitar and play along with the band.

The band is currently teetering between emo and goofy, and everyone is working on morphing the two genres to meet in the middle, Richardson said. “We could go to one place and play a set a go to another place and play a set, and you could think we were two different bands,” Richardson said.

But the future looks good, and Strait A Students plans to keep on moving forward with the music, Richardson said.

For more on Strait A Students, check out www.myspace.com/straitastudents.

UPCOMING SHOWS

Strait A Students is playing an all-ages show on March 29 with Seattle band Shotty and The Cherubs at WhAAM’s Old Foundry, 100 Maple St. The show starts at 8 p.m. with a $5 cover.

Also, check out Strait A Students on April 18 at the Rogue Hero, 1313 N. State St., with Truce and Peratus. The 21-and-older show costs $4 and starts around 10 p.m.