By Eliot Wilder / It's somehow fitting that the Mayflies USA's Matt McMichaels is on the phone from Graceland, that bastion of all that's glorious (young Elvis) and grotesque (old Elvis) about rock 'n' roll. Having experienced their own share of disparate adventures - some glorious, some grotesque - the foursome from Chapel Hill, N.C., is having a transcendent moment. "I wasn't mentally prepared for it," says McMichaels of the King's flamboyant estate. "Red velour everywhere, green carpet on the ceiling - it's all pretty intense. If I have a breakdown on the phone, that's why." Did McMichaels and company kneel before the porcelain throne on which Presley gave his final command performance? "That was off limits. I think that would've been too macabre. But it was definitely heavy to be near where he, uh, expired."

The members of the Mayflies USA - in addition to singer and guitarist McMichaels, they are Adam Price (vocals, bass), Matt Long (guitar) and David Liesegang (drums) - should have reason to believe that they would be received in Graceland: the band has just released "Walking in a Straight Line," a bold third album that finds the group exploring new aural and emotional territories. Whereas 1999's "Summertown" and 2000's "The Pity List" effervesced with charming Southern-fried power pop, the new record is rougher, its lines not necessarily straight - more, they have plenty of bumps and potholes.

Part of this is due to the rocky road the band has been on. "We went through some tough stuff the last couple years," McMichaels relates. "We changed managers and a couple of our friends went through some pretty crappy times with drugs and such. It was a dark period." Part of this is due to a switch in producers. The first two albums were polished by alt-pop genius Chris Stamey while "Walking in a Straight Line" features Keith Cleversley - who has also cast his sonic sorcery on bands like Mercury Rev and Spiritualized - at the controls. "It was definitely a different vibe," McMichaels explains. "Keith has always been one of my favorite producers, especially the Flaming Lips stuff he did."

In its quest to mix things up a bit, the Mayflies USA also went in for both a change of scene and sound. "We'd always recorded right in North Carolina," McMichaels says. "We went up to Chicago for a month in February and just lived in Playground Studios. Also, we did it all completely analog, as if the computer technology had never been invented, whereas our last couple of records had a lot of standard-issue recording techniques. This one we recorded like a rock record from the old days."

The band, a tight-knit bunch that, during the month-long escapade, "didn't see each other too much more than we would have anyway," drew inspiration from seminal '60s and '70s albums. The instrumental performances were mostly overdub-free and many of the vocals were first takes, "so it's pretty much what we actually sound like." The result is an organic, authentic-sounding album. "We were talking about how records like 'Exile on Main Street' and 'Marquee Moon' were made," McMichaels states. "That's what we always envisioned doing, and we finally got to do it."

Although the aforementioned "pretty crappy times" are reflected in many of "Straight Line's" tunes, there is no apparent overall theme. "We didn't think through any kind of concept for the record," McMichaels says. "Me and Adam, who co-wrote all the songs, just ended up with a seamless bunch of songs that felt like they are all of a piece."

Seamless, yes. But not samey. The spacey "Ready to Go" is a buzzing neo-psychedelic nightmare whose lyrics express the band's doubts and convictions. "It had been awhile since our last record came out and we didn't know if we were going to be able to hold it together and make another record," according to McMichaels. "Ready to go, meaning ready to get the show back on the road or ready to quit and shoot yourself in the mouth."

There's also the joyous noise of "123." Inspired, according to McMichaels, by the irreverence and contrariety of Lester Bangs and his book "Let It Blurt," it sounds like Teenage Fanclub mounted atop Crazy Horse. And, with its atmospheric effects, "Sweet 16," the album's final track, portends all manner of musical possibilities. "We switched around instruments on that one," McMichaels recalls. "We built from the drums and the piano, and then I played that psychotic bass. I had a 102-degree fever and I needed to rouse myself to play that part. It was a strange moment. That was the jumping off point for all the keyboard stuff on the record."

Is "Walking in a Straight Line" the best Mayflies USA yet? "I have no doubt about it. This one I actually enjoy listening to as a record - that's a first in this band," McMichaels says, sounding like a man galvanized not only by his band's accomplished album but, with his mates whooping it up in the background, also by the allure of Elvis and the fascination with Graceland. Speaking of which, any Spinal Tap moments? "I am embarrassed to admit it, but we did 'Heartbreak Hotel' right in front of the King."