The members of Current Swell no longer live together under a single roof — as they did years ago, when the group first came together as a unit — but the bond between the four friends is stronger than ever.

Touring the world for the better part of five years, from Brazil to Australia, often has that effect.

Current Swell's years of experience on the road can be heard — and felt — in the nooks and crannies of Long Time Ago, the new full-length from this rootsy Victoria, B.C. quartet. The record shifts between upbeat folk (the title track, Long Time Ago) and singalong-ready roots rock (the first single, Too Cold) with a fluidity and ease that could only come from continual touring.

The band originally wanted to call its fourth record People Not Places, as if to signify its new lyrical direction. "We used to write about traveling, because that's all we did for a while," says singer- guitarist Scott Stanton. "But on this record, we wrote mostly about people in our lives."