Wolf Parade: Expo 86

Label: Sub Pop

It might sound weird to say that Wolf Parade is putting it all together on Expo 86, since the Montreal band has had so much well-earned indie-success in its seven years of existence. But this album sounds so complete (you'd want to call it "professional" if that didn't seem to be some kind of put-down), such a perfect synthesis of everything that's made Wolf Parade so popular, it might be true that the group is just hitting its stride. Credit the songwriting: It's in the way the guitars and keyboards work together on "Palm Road," neither getting in the way nor making room for the other. That dynamic repeats on the otherwise very different "Ghost Pressure," which resembles a less mopey Interpol in its cool slickness (again, not an insult!). And though actually titling a song "Pobody's Nerfect" qualifies Wolf Parade for some kind of dork award, the song is so well-formed (and like half the album's tunes goes well past the five-minute mark), the guitars so triumphant, you just smile. (Bosco)