The Dears were churning out sweeping, blustery epics long before ''dramatic indie rock from Canada'' was its own subgenre, and Degeneration Street, the band's fifth album sees them perfecting the template. Singer Murray Lightburn's somersaulting pipes soar over a tangle of brawny guitars, and while their tense theater-rock evokes everyone from Coldplay to Arcade Fire, the Dears are expert practitioners. A–Download These:
Omega Dog, the moody, falsetto-led single, at last.fm Yesteryear, a groovy bit of dark pop that nods to the Smiths, at last.fm