Many Austin residents will remember Cloud Cult’s energetic performance to cap the 2013 Austin Art Works Festival at Marcusen Park, but the band is a bit more subdued and reflective on its latest album.

That’s definitely not a bad thing.

Cloud Cult released its first live acoustic album “Unplug” online, with the CD version coming April 15.

In Austin, Cloud Cult shined in the big, grandiose moments. On “Unplug,” they shine with a quiet, heartfelt precision.

The roots for “Unplug” can be traced back through the August Cloud Cult concert in Austin. While in Austin, the band was still buzzing about a recent unplugged acoustic performance on the West Coast, and members mulled recording a live acoustic album. Band members also have ties to Austin. Violinist and backup singer Shannon Frid-Rubin grew up in Austin, and singer Craig Minowa, painter Scott West and Craig’s wife, Connie, a painter and backup singer, all grew up in Owatonna. Frid-Rubin and Craig still have family in the Austin area.

When I look back at the August show, my first memory is standing against the stage and feeling it shake as the band jumped to the upbeat, grandiose music. The live album scales back that energy for something more contemplative.

“We dug through sort of the Cloud Cult discography and picked out the songs that had sort of the philosophical messages,” Craig says after the first track, “You Were Born.”

This is an album that plays best in introspective moments. For me, that’s the quiet morning hours before sunrise.

It’s hard to listen to the album and not turn thoughtful, especially since the acoustic setup really showcases Craig’s lyrics.

“I packed up my clothes in a grocery bag; I’m going to find my creator,” Craig and the band sing on Ghost Inside Our House. “An old man in the clouds or a happy little alien. Whoever it is, I need to thank her.”

While Craig’s strong lyrics and vocals are front and center, my favorite parts of the album are when Craig is joined by the rest of the band’s backing voices, especially on songs like “Breakfast with My Shadow” and “Chemicals Collide.” The moments are infectious.

I couldn’t help but listen to “Chemicals Collide” at least twice when listening to the album, as the track builds to a great bridge where the band sings together with just a soft guitar.

“Oh God it’s beautiful and insatiable the way our chemicals collide,” Craig sings on the track.

The album was recorded live in December at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis. While it’s a thoughtful album, that doesn’t mean there’s not upbeat moments. For most of the album, the audience is quiet and courteous until they clap between songs, but they can be heard whooping and clapping during the peaks of songs like “Chemicals Collide” and “Complicated Creation.”

Austin residents will recognize many songs from the August concert. By my count, “Running with the Wolves,” “Pretty Voice,” “Complicated Creation,” “We Made Up Your Mind for You,” “No One Said It Would Be Easy,” “You Were Born,” “Chemicals Collide” and “Journey of the Featherless” were performed in Austin and appear on “Unplug.”

Though “Unplug” is a bit different than the ArtWorks show, the band gives off the same welcoming, inclusive vibe to the audience that peaks on the boisterous “Complicated Creation.”

If you enjoyed August’s concert, you’ll probably enjoy “Unplug.” The band is also releasing a movie of the album and the performance later in 2014.